Searching
by LiTori
Summary: Part 2. An attack on a family member brings secrets to light that Lin would rather keep hidden. With the clock counting down for a friend, and his identity at risk every time a new case is taken; how long will it take for the shadows to take over?
1. Dial N for Naru

**Tori: Hey everyone XD. **

**This is my new story, called ****_Searching. _**

**This is a sequel to ****_Going Back_****.**

** If you have not read ****_Going Back, _****go read it now. **

**You will not understand a word of this story otherwise.**

**Mai: Other than that, Enjoy! And Welcome Back!**

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><p>.<p>

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><p><strong><em>"Fields of green and plains of gold…"<em>**

_A flash of red, and a vision of stormy-grey eyes set in a pale face. _

_"…__**Seas of blue and hills of old**__…"_

_Bright laughter and a melodic voice singing, quickly joined by others to form a harmony._

_"…__**Mountain's capped with snow, so white**__…"_

_Gentle hands, healing bruises and cuts, and scolding at recklessness. _

_"…__**Can you see it as you fly...?"**_

_A sense of safety, and arms holding her secure, smoothing down her hair as she cried._

_"…__**Softly, softly, lay**__**down your head**__…"_

_Swinging around in a circle, the sky a blue blur, and hysterical laughter._

_"…__**Watching the leaves, drift overhead**__…"_

_Running through long, green grass, a hand holding hers, and a sense of being watched._

_"…__**Softly, softly, close your eyes**__…"_

_Dancing in the wind, cherry blossoms falling around her, another presence nearby._

_"…__**Spread your wings, and learn how to fly**__…"_

_Having a piggy-back ride, perched on someone's shoulders, very long ways off the ground._

**_"…Stars up high, shining so bright…"_**

_Sitting on a rooftop, listening to someone pointing out constellations through the pollution. _

_"…__**Everything silver in the moonlight**__…"_

_Watching the moon come up, with someone holding her steady on the roof._

_"…__**Water cascading over the rocks**__…"_

_A trip, somewhere, walking down a track and looking at waterfalls, and the different mosses._

_"…__**Can you see it as you fly**__…?"_

_A vision of eyes, this time one a deep, dark indigo, and the other a forest green. Black hair and a cheeky smile._

_"…__**Softly, softly, lay down your head**__…"_

_Someone tucking her in, and giving her a goodnight kiss on the cheek._

_"…__**Watching the leaves, drift overhead**__…"_

_Autumn, dragging someone taller than her to the park to play in the leaves._

_"…__**Softly, softly, close your eyes**__…"_

_Collapsing on the ground, breathing heavily after running._

_"…__**Spread your wings, and learn how to fly**__…"_

_Someone pushing her on a swing, answering her plea's to go higher. _

_Higher, and higher, before she started falling._

_Faster._

_Into the darkness._

_Absorbed by the black._

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><p><em>.<em>

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><p>Mai awoke with a start, sitting up in her bed suddenly.<p>

A hot wind drifted through her open window, tousling her hair slightly. She looked at her alarm clock.

'_First day of summer break, and I wake up at 5:37 in the morning. Why can't I get up this early during school?'_

The necklace that Lin had given her from her mother hung from her neck; it had been there for four weeks, ever since she got it.

She fingered the stone, pushing the blankets off her legs. The flat was silent, indicating that Ayako had finally gone to bed, and that Masako was sleeping at last.

Mai crept out of her room and into the kitchen, hunting for a glass of water. It was too hot in her room; the doors to the small terrace outside would let in some more air.

'_Even though it's probably even hotter outside.'_

Finding a glass, she stood next to the doors, enjoying the sudden cool breeze that floated through the doors.

'_That's so much better!'_

Taking a sip of the even colder water, she heard her phone vibrate from where it was plugged in to the wall.

'_Who the hell is up this early? Oh, wait, Mai is!'_

Mai picked up the phone, and started to smile when she saw the caller I.D.

_._

_Naru._

_R u up?_

_._

_Mai_

_U can use txt language?_

_._

_Naru_

_I'm a tnagr 2, u know._

_._

_Mai_

_Srry. Y u up this ungodly hour?_

_._

_Naru_

_Insomnia._

_._

_Mai_

_? Seriously?_

_._

_Naru_

_Nope. I just…_

_._

_Mai_

_Nightmares, right? I had 1 b4. Or it wos a mmory. Lin did mention that they mght start cming bck. I'm nt sure._

_._

_Naru_

_Pretty good guess._

_._

_Mai_

_Gene? U dn't haf 2 answr._

_._

_Naru_

_Sometmes I wonder about the xtent of ur abilities._

.

Mai froze, worried that she'd made him angry.

.

_Mai_

_Sorry, I didn't mean 2 bring it up._

_._

_Naru_

_It's fine. R u cming in 2 wrk early?_

_._

_Mai_

_Why?_

_._

_Naru_

_Did u 4get about the filing?_

_._

_._

Mai cringed, imagining the stack of filing that she had to do, from all the rejected cases, and the few small ones that they had done.

_._

_Mai_

_Whoops? Yeah, I'll cme in early._

.

Mai froze as she heard movement in the bedrooms, before she realized that it was Masako getting up. Mai checked the clock.

'_6:00. I'd better go for a run before work.'_

She looked at her phone, before taking a deep breath.

_._

_Mai_

_Did u know about the stakes that Nollene, Monk, Yasu and Ayako r running?_

_._

_Naru_

_I do now. What r they 4?_

_._

Mai blushed as she typed in her answer.

_._

_Mai_

_How long it takes 4 us 2 kiss._

_._

_Naru_

_Yeah, Lin told me. I've plotted my revenge on Nollene._

_._

_Mai_

_Tell? Masako dragged John into getting back Yasu, and I got back Ayako._

_,_

_Naru_

_Oh? How did she manage that? Lene won't b cming in; I added itching powder 2 her makeup._

_._

_Mai_

_That's pretty good. Masako just asked John; I think that he likes her. I put bleach in Ayako's shampoo. She will b blonde__J__! WB Monk?_

_._

_Naru_

_! That should b good 2 c her reaction! Lin and Madoka said that they were going 2 deal with Monk. I shudder 2 think about what will happen._

_._

_Mai_

_Any ideas?_

_._

_Naru_

_IDK, but Lin knows how 2 hack computers and cellphones. He might get some strange texts at some horrible hour this morning or tonight. He's done it to Nollene and me once._

_Not pleasant. _

_Madoka's will be more subtle._

_Or not._

_._

_Mai_

_Ouch. Hey, Monk and Ayako will match 2day! Both blonde! :) _

_._

_Naru_

_That they will. Can't w8 2 c Monk's reaction!_

_._

Masako walked in, catching Mai's smile.

"Is that Naru?"

Mai nodded, blushing slightly.

"He got back at Nollene by putting itching powder in Nollene's makeup."

Masako blinked.

"Ouch. Tell him to pay close attention to Yasu's glasses this morning."

Mai smirked.

"Oh, I will."

.

_Mai_

_Masako says 2 look Yasu's glasses._

_._

_Naru_

_I definitely will. Should b good. Need 2 go, Nollene is up. Will escape to office b4 she finds out ;) Bye!_

_._

_Mai_

_C u soon!_

_._

Masako looked at her friends face, and the smile that she still wore.

"You have it bad."  
>"Shut up, Masako. We should go for a run and leave before Ayako has a shower."<p>

Masako frowned.

"Why?"

Catching Mai's smirk, Masako clicked.

"Dye or bleach?"

Mai sniggered.

"Bleach. She will go blonde."

Masako exited the kitchen quickly.

"Then let's leave!"

Mai followed her hurriedly.

"Agreed."

.

_The day was just beginning._

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><p><em>.<em>

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><p><strong><em>Welcome back, NOW PLEASE REVIEW!<em>**

**_The box is very lonely!_**

**_Give it friends!vv_**


	2. Dead Calm

**Tori: So yeah, I'm alive. Barely. I've decide to update quickly, as I have some other stories that I need to do.**

**Masako: Thanks to all the reviewers so far, and to the ones in the past story.**

**Mai: Tori does not own Ghost Hunt.**

**Tori: I wish. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!**

**.**

Nollene woke up in a particularly bad mood.

She'd had hardly any sleep due to nightmares, and it was just too damn hot.

Groaning, she dragged herself into the bathroom that she had to share with Noll, and turned on the shower as cold as it would go. Shivering slightly, she stood with her head bowed, imagining the water washing away all of her nightmares, and down into the drain.

Shower done, she dries herself and got dressed, already eying her makeup and face with distaste.

"Boys have it so easy." She muttered.

Opening her foundation bottle, she dabbed a bit on her nose, before she froze.

'_Why is my nose burning?'_

Nollene scratched at her nose, trying to take the foundation off, before she clicked.

'_Itching powder in my makeup. The chemical reaction between certain ingredients would cause a burning sensation. But who could get in…'_

Nollene gritted her teeth, and the mirror iced over instantly, as her mind figured out who exactly had pulled this prank.

"OLIVER!"

.

Monk rolled out of bed with a slight smile on his face.

He'd never had a better sleep, and he got to see Ayako after work. It was just coffee, but it was a small step. He was never taking her paintballing again though.

He still had the bruises from last time.

'_For a doctor, she can pack a punch and fire a gun better than half my band. I suppose doctors need to let off some steam though.'_

Hauling on some jeans and one of his randomly patterned shirts, he raced down to his car, grabbing his phone and wallet on the way.

Turning on his phone, he noticed that he had a new message.

.

_Shounen_

_My dearest Houshou, after years of pursuing your love, I have discovered a very important something. You are in denial. I understand that you would not want to come out to your band about your sexuality, and I respect that, but could we at least give it a try? Using the Old Hag as a decoy isn't very nice, and it might hurt her feelings if she believes that you truly love her, only to find out that you were using her._

_I cannot wait 4ever, my love._

_._

Monk turned pink, and then red as he read the text.

"Where the hell does this kid get his thoughts from?" he wondered aloud.

Shaking his head, he turned out of the parking space, and then drove towards SPR, wondering why his face felt tight.

.

Yasu rolled out of bed, got dressed and put on his glasses, before heading out the door.

John had already left to go help in the church, so Yasu had the flat to himself. John was probably the best flatmate that Yasu had ever had; he cleaned up after himself, he cooked dinner/ breakfast when it was his turn, he was polite, he never intruded on Yasu's private stuff, and he didn't grow marijuana under his bed.

Today was going to be a day of flirting with Nollene, annoying Ayako, hassling Monk and dropping hints about Mai and Big Boss's relationship.

Not to mention Masako and John dancing around each other.

Yasu debated taking his car, but the traffic was already bad around his area, and he didn't want to be late for work.

Yasu strolled down the footpath towards the subway station, wondering why he was getting such strange looks from everyone.

.

Ayako rinsed her shampoo out of her hair, wondering why it smelt a little funny.

Mai and Masako had already left for work, Mai saying that she had to do a lot of filing, and Masako offering to help her.

'_It's about time those two started to help each other. Best friends always start out enemies. Well, most of the time.'_

She amended her thought, thinking back to her days at Nagoshima Medical School. Although, her roommate was pretty cool. She'd gotten in on a scholarship as well.

Towel-drying her hair, before running a comb through it, she paused, catching a glimpse of her hair out of the corner of her eye.

'_What _is _that smell? It's familiar, but I can't place it. And why is it coming from my hair?'_

Ayako froze for a moment, before rushing to the mirror and staring at her hair.

"_I'M A BLONDE!?"_

She shrieked, eyeing her hair in mingled shock and horror.

'_Oh. My. Spirits. I look like a freak! What the hell is Houshou going to say when he sees this…this…monstrosity? And I'm supposed to be going out for coffee with him after I check in at SPR!'_

Ayako sniffed again, and the smell clicked; recognised from her years working in hospitals.

'_Bleach. Goddamn bleach. My hair will never be the same. Bleach in my shampoo! I bet it was Mai; the sneaky minx. Somehow she found out about the stakes, and got revenge!'_

Ayako sighed, anger gone as quickly as it came. She was so damn _tired_. Coffee with Monk might wake her up. Her shift in the children's ward might kill her; maybe she could ask Monk for a ride home. She might not be able to stay awake while driving.

Hunting around in her wardrobe…_'Of course, everything is based around my hair'…_ she pulled out a light green top that didn't' go _too_ badly with her hair.

Hunting around for a skirt, the only thing she came up with was a pair of black jeans.

'_My day just keeps getting better.'_

Pulling those on, she grabbed her purse (filled with some stone weights to hit Yasu with) and her car keys, and headed out the door, bracing herself for the day ahead.

.

Madoka strolled into Lin's office, carrying stack of files that Mai had just sorted.

There were a few in there that were out of place, so Madoka was checking with Lin to see if they were his (he had his own filing system, for some of the…other…jobs that he did).

She dumped them on his desk, spilling a cup filled with pens. Lin froze; his shoulders tense.

"Are these yours?"

Madoka asked, examining his office out of the corner of her eyes.

It was freakishly neat; nothing was out of place. His drawers were all labelled, and he had separate holders for pens, pencils, calligraphy pens and correction fluid. Small containers held erasers, sharpeners and paperclips; all labelled.

Apart from the pens she just knocked over. They were all black, she noticed, and she looked at the other pen holders, they were colour co-ordinated.

'_And I thought that I was OCD about neatness. This takes it to a whole new level.'_

Lin still hadn't moved, fingers still frozen above the keyboard. Madoka frowned.

"Koujo?"

Madoka picked up the pens, and placed them back in their holder, and lined it up with the other ones.

"Ko? Come on, snap out of it!"

Madoka poked him, and he flinched, jerking away from her. Madoka held her hands up in a placating gesture, slightly startled. Koujo relaxed.

"Oh, it's you."

Madoka frowned.

"Who did you think it was?"

Koujo smirked at her.

"Monk. Has he come in yet?"

Madoka gave a malicious grin.

"Nope. But…"

She was interrupted by the sound of Mai laughing uncontrollably. Madoka raised her eyebrows.

"There's your answer."

Koujo stood up, and poked his head out his door. He pulled back a few seconds later, a smile growing on his face.

"You really did a number on him, didn't you? The moustache is a nice touch, with the curly ends. The glasses are pretty funny too."

Madoka sat down in Koujo's chair, swinging around in it.

"I live for the simple things." She commented, spinning around in a full circle before Koujo put a hand out and stopped her mid-circle. She pouted at him.

"I so knew that those two were kissing in Oliver's office."

Koujo rolled his eyes.

"I knew as well."

Madoka brightened.

"Oh?"

"Láng told me."

Madoka scowled at him.

"Cheat."

She got up, and pointed at the files on his desk.

"Keep those; they belong to you. Don't file them under the SPR stuff."

Koujo blinked, surprised, before opening the door open for Madoka.

"Must have slipped my mind. Good thing that I have you to keep me in line."

"Don't push it."

Madoka turned around to face the main area, where she stopped dead.

Ayako had walked in, wearing a pair of Madoka's black jeans that she'd left behind (it had been an epic sleepover).

But her hair was now blonde, with bits of pink.

"Koujo come look at Ayako's hair." Madoka murmured.

Koujo peered over her shoulder, and winced slightly.

"Ouch. Go give her a hug; she looks like she needs one."

Madoka nodded, and shoved past Yasu, who was laughing his head off. Ayako just looked miserable.

"Nice glasses Yasu; matches your sexuality quite nicely. Matches your immaturity as well." She snapped, shocking the others with her harsh tone.

Yasu blinked, and pulled off his glasses, yelping in shock.

"They're PINK! WITH BUNNIES ON THEM?!"

Mai sniggered, and hi-fived Masako.

Madoka rolled her eyes, and sat down next to her friend, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Monk, go look in a mirror and wash your face." Naru ordered, as he walked out of his office, carrying three more folders.

Mai frowned when she saw them.

"Didn't I file those already?"

Naru shook his head.

"They were in my office."

Mai shoulders slumped, and Monk cursed from the small bathroom that the office had.

"Who the hell drew a moustache on me?!"

Madoka pulled Ayako closer; she'd started to tremble.

"It's just like those girls at school."

Ayako murmured, her voice soft and sad. Madoka rubbed her shoulders.

"I have some red dye at home; do you want to re-dye it?"

Ayako nodded, and Monk came out of the bathroom, finally catching sight of Ayako. He froze, shocked. Ayako glared at him half-heartedly.

"Are you going to laugh to?" she asked him.

Monk frowned, and then narrowed his eyes, contemplating something.

"I appreciate the gesture of trying to have matching hair styles, but you looked more beautiful with red hair."

Silence descended quickly.

Even Naru paused, standing next to Mai organizing files.

Ayako smiled slightly at Monk, standing up.

"You said something about coffee last night?"

Monk gave her a crooked grin and walked towards the door, grabbing her hand as he walked past.

"You bet I did. You look like you need a pick-me-up."

Ayako smiled a bit brighter, and followed Monk, grabbing her purse on the way out and hitting Yasu on the back of the head as she passed.

Before the door shut, Madoka heard Monk comment

"You look nice in jeans. Why don't you wear them more often?"

"These are Madoka's."

Monk's laughter was heard, followed by Ayako's giggling, and then the door shut.

Madoka turned to Koujo.

"They are such a cute couple."

"So are Naru and Mai, but that doesn't mean anything."

Yasu was still mourning the loss of his "_swag-tastic glasses and the amount of nerd-cred they gave him"_ and Nollene was nowhere to be seen, so the itching powder must have worked.

Monk and Ayako were accounted for, so that meant that the retribution would begin soon.

The door opened, and Madoka almost expected Monk and Ayako to come back, one of them forgetting something.

She was pleasantly surprised when Hitori Kanata; an old school friend, and on the police force came in. He was out of uniform, so that meant that he was (thankfully) not on duty.

He spotted her, and smiled at her.

"Hey, Ka. How are you?"

Madoka bounced towards him and wrapped him in a hug.

"Hitori! How's Rukia?"

"She's fine. Is Ko in? I need to speak to him."

Madoka frowned, and narrowed her gaze, but Hitori shook his head. Madoka walked towards Koujo's door, and knocked on it.

"Ko? Hitroi's here; he wants to speak with you."

The door opened, and Koujo walked out and leaned against the wall casually.

"Have I done something illegal?"

Hitori gave him a wry smile.

"Is that a confession, Koujo?"

Koujo shook his head, but didn't move from the wall.

"Why are you here?" It sounded innocent, but Madoka detected a wary undertone to his words.

Hitori suddenly looked uncomfortable, and looked at the floor, taking a deep breath. He exhaled, and then looked Koujo dead in the eye.

"It's about your niece."


	3. Cho is Missing

**Tori: Thanks to all reviewers, and I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas.**

**Mai: Tori is glad that you all seemed to like the prank ideas.**

**Tori: Because half or none of you read this, I'm going to make it short. I don't own Ghost Hunt, but I own Mei, Takeo, Nollene, Lin's shiki and his niece, and Madoka's boyfriend, as well as Hitori and Rukia, Hana, Ruka and Outcasts.**

**Mai: Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Koujo never wanted to hear those dreaded words.<p>

"_It's about your niece."_

His mind flashed back to when he was sixteen, and he'd heard those same words.

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><p>.<p>

"_It's about your niece."_

_Sixteen-year-old Koujo frowned at the policeman over his cup of tea. Jia sat to his right, while Tori was on his left._

_"What about her?"_

_The policeman shook his head._

_"I'm afraid your older brother, Toru Lin, and his wife, Jia, have passed away."_

_Koujo narrowed his eyes._

_"Passed away, killed or murdered? Don't sugar-coat things."_

_The policeman gritted his teeth._

_"The Chinese police wouldn't give details, but one of them mentioned claw marks."_

_Koujo stiffened._

_"Murdered, then."_

_"Don't make assumptions, boy."_

_"I'm not assuming anything, officer."_

_"Koujo." Jia broke in quietly, while Tori squeezed his hand reassuringly._

_Koujo sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache forming._

_"Thank you for telling me this officer, but what does it have to do with my niece?"_

_"As your second older brother, your sister and any other relative in China are dead, you have become her sole guardian, despite your age."_

_Koujo slumped back into his seat, hand over his eyes._

_'_Toru is dead, and so is Jia. Mei is presumed dead, I knew nothing of a second brother, and now I'm expected to look after a girl?'

_Koujo sat up as Jia asked a question._

_"How old is she?"_

_"Six."_

_Jia nodded._

_"Is it possible for an adult to assume guardianship until Koujo is of age?"_

_The policeman nodded._

_"If the adult is his legal guardian, then yes."_

_Jia stood up, and the policeman did the same._

_"I would like to assume temporary guardianship of his niece, until Koujo is of age. Until then, she can live with me. I am his temporary guardian."_

_The policeman nodded._

_"You can fill out the paperwork tomorrow. The child is in the car."_

_"Does she have a name?"_

_The policeman looked troubled._

_"She wouldn't speak to anyone. We don't know her name."_

_The policeman led Koujo and Jia down to the car, while Tori stayed up in the lounge. Koujo spotted a small girl sitting in the back seat, with a fringe covering her eyes._

_The policeman opened the door, and pulled the girl out by the arm. She half-fell out of the car, unresisting, and he shoved the girl towards them._

_He then climbed into the driver's seat, and drove off into the night. Jia huffed._

_"Standards are slipping. Time was, he'd have been punished for that treatment of a minor."_

_Koujo ignored her, and crouched before the girl. She looked up at him, and he was met with the heterochromia eyes that all Lin family members possessed. _

_"Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?" he asked her. (What is your name?)_

_The girl's eyes snapped, and her gaze sharpened._

_"Cho. Cho Lin."_

_Koujo nodded._

_"Wǒ Koujo, nǐ dàyé. Nǐ zhīdào nǐ wèishéme zài zhèlǐ?" (I'm Koujo, your uncle. Do you know why you're here?)_

_"Wǒ de fùmǔ bèi móushāle." (My parents were murdered.)_

_"Zhè shǐdé wǒmen liǎng gè rén. Tīng, nǐ yào zài zhèlǐ hé wǒ yīqǐ zhù, zhídào nǐ zhǎngdà líkāi. Nà shì yǔ nǐ méiguānxì?" (That makes two of us. Cho, you are going to live here with me, until you are old enough to leave. Is that okay with you?)_

_"Zhè shì wánměi de!" (It's perfect!)_

_She tackled him in a hug, with all of her six-year-old strength, thanking him over and over again, until her words blurred._

_Looking up to the stars, Koujo promised his older brother something._

_'I will protect her till my dying breath, brother. This I promise, on my family heritage.'_

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><p><em>.<em>

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><p>Koujo schooled his features into a blank visage; not wanting to give his overwhelming concern away.<p>

"Has something happened to her?"

He asked, sitting down on the couch and gesturing for Hitori to also sit down.

Hitori nodded, and pulled a small file from out of his coat.

"Your niece's school bus was attacked at 7:26 this morning, just outside of Mt. Aso National Park. She and two other students were the only three students not accounted for."

There was a gasp from Madoka, and murmurs from Naru and Mai, but Koujo hardly heard them.

His face had suddenly drained of blood, and he could hear his heart pounding,

'_7:26, Madoka came into my office, and knocked over my pens. I suddenly felt shocked, terrified and exhausted. But adrenaline was pumping through my veins. When she touched me, it wasn't her hands that I saw. It was a claw.'_

His mind flashed to what his grandfather had once said, all those years ago.

.

"_The Lin family has a special connection within itself. Each member can tell if another is injured, or upset, or lonely. It is why our family has survived for generations, instead of falling like many others."_

_._

Koujo took a deep breath, and eyed the folder that Hitori carried.

"It that the evidence folder?"

Hitori nodded, and passed it to him.

"Photos from the Kumamoto Police Department; they arrived on the scene three minutes after the attack happened. A student called them as soon as the bus was hit."

Koujo eyed the photos carefully.

The first was a picture of the bus from a distance; it was lying on its side, and there were a few students standing on the side, helping others out.

The second was a close up of the side of the bus, with deep scratch marks along the sides, that had also peeled some of the metal underneath into fine curls.

The third was of three sets of footprints, leading away from the bus and into the surrounding forest.

The fourth and final picture was a shot of a jade dragon pendant, hung on a silver chain. It was hanging off a tree branch; a sign to sow that she'd passed that way.

'_Cho's necklace.'_

"Who were the other two students?"

"Rose Wood and Michiru Kawasaki. Michiru was a student helper on the trip, and Rose was a transfer student from England."

Koujo tilted his head thoughtfully, eyes scanning the rest of the photographs.

"Yes, Rose is boarding at Outcasts during her stay in Japan. She's Cho's friend."

Hitori pulled out a map of Kyushu, and pointed to a spot, right next to the base of the mountain.

"That's where they were attacked. They're calling the families to the site tomorrow, to tell them that they are going to start searching around the mountain."

Koujo nodded, his nerves on edge. A thought struck him.

"Not that I'm ungrateful, but why are you telling me this? Usually it'd be a police officer _on duty._"

Hitori gave a shy smile.

"The head said that it would be better to hear it from a friend, than from a uniformed officer."

Koujo nodded.

"Thank you, for your time, Hitori."

Hitori stood, and Koujo followed, showing him to the door.

"if you need anything, Koujo, you have my number and Rukia's. Don't be afraid to call."

"I won't, and thank you once more, Hitori."

Hitori waved, and closed the door behind him.

Koujo leaned heavily against the wall, mind on overdrive.

.

"Do you need time off?"

.

The question came out of nowhere, and Koujo jumped slightly. He turned to look at Naru.

"Since when did you actually give time off?"

Koujo asked, frowning. Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not that mean. At least you have blood family left to save. Don't make the mistake I did, and wait too long."

There was silence, before Koujo spoke.

"Five days. During those five days, if you have a case, you have my number; use it only in emergencies. No text bombing."

Oliver nodded.

"Go home and pack. You leave for Kyushu tomorrow."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Koujo?"<em>

_"Mmm?"_

_"Why do I never see Aunt Mei?"_

_Seventeen-year-old Koujo paused in his meditation to look at Cho. In the year that she'd been here, she'd grown taller, and her hair was longer. Koujo considered his answer._

_Tatsuo had informed him that Mei had reached England safely, and had gotten a job as a cook for an older couple._

_"Mei is very far away. She's in England. It is very difficult for her to come visit, as it is for us to visit her."_

_Cho nodded thoughtfully, before bouncing forwards to sit on Koujo's lap._

_"At least I have you."_

_Koujo wrapped his arms around his niece._

_"Cho; you will always have me."_

_'_Till my dying breath.'

* * *

><p>.<p>

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	4. Dirty Rotten Scavengers

**Tori: Hey everyone. Life happened, so sorry for the late update.**

**Mei: Thanks to Tasolae for the great review; the criticism was greatly appreciated.**

**Tori: I do not own Ghost Hunt, only all my OC's (there's a lot of them).**

**Mei: Enjoy!**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Ruka Tanaka had spent a life time reading people.<p>

It's what made her such a good lawyer; reading people's body language for lies came with the job.

So when Koujo came home early, with his shoulders set and avoiding everyone's eyes, Ruka instantly knew that something drastic had happened, short of the world ending.

She was even more surprised when he immediately headed down to the first basement after getting changed, where all the training equipment was stored.

Catching Hana's eye, she stood, excusing herself from the table where some exchange students were doing their homework or eating dinner.

Or both.

Making her way down to the first basement, she listened to the irregular thud that was Koujo beating the crap out of some poor punching bag.

'_Ah. A very bad day then. Obviously it couldn't be fixed with meditation this time.'_

Ruka opened the door at the base of the stairs, and leaned against the doorframe, watching her friend vent some steam.

He always moved fluidly, rhythmically, as if he knew exactly where he was going to aim three moves in advance. It made his kind of martial arts look like a dance; a very violent one.

"Let me guess; you got fired?"

She called, startling Koujo and causing him to duck as the punching bag swung back around after his last hit.

"No. It's worse." He muttered, walking over to a bench and grabbing a bottle of water. Ruka moved towards him, tossing him a towel.

"What happened?"

Koujo slumped down on the bench, and shook his head.

"Gods, Ruka. I don't know where to start."

Ruka sat down next to him.

"Did something happen at work?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. In its own way, it did."

Ruka frowned, but gestured for him to continue. Koujo took a deep breath.

"Gods, I might as well say it outright."

Ruka narrowed her eyes.

"Say what outright?"

Koujo ran a hand through his hair, and for a split second, Ruka saw his other eye; the one covered by his fringe.

A glimpse of black and white was all she got though, before his fringe swung back down.

"Cho and Rose's bus was hit by something at 7:26 this morning. Hitori came and told me, and Oliver gave me five days off. I'm being called to the site tomorrow."

Ruka froze, and her face drained of blood.

"Which bus was this?"

"The Geography trip that they both went on. It had claw mark across the side, and had been flipped over."

Ruka swallowed.

"Demon?"

Koujo shrugged, his hand going through his hair again.

"I don't know."

His head dropped, and his eyes went to the floor.

"I just don't _know_." He whispered, hands clenched into fists.

Ruka placed her hand gently on Koujo's shoulder; he was warm from his practice, but he hadn't broken a sweat.

"No one can tell what the future holds, Ko. No one can change the course of time."

Koujo stood, suddenly, and stalked away from Ruka; every inch of his body radiating hurt, anger and frustration.

Ruka had only seen him like this a few times; when Tori had died; when Lucy and Rosaline had committed suicide; when Amaya and Jia had been murdered and when Hana had contracted the wasting disease.

He thought that he was powerless to do anything.

Ruka sighed, and stood up, thinking.

"Would they have separated? Cho and Rose?"

Koujo gave her a look.

"No. They won't. They're both too clever to be separated."

Ruka pursed her lips, thinking.

"Then if we find Rose or Cho, we find the other."

She stated.

Koujo nodded, and grabbed the towel that Ruka brought, unwrapping his hands from the strapping tape that he used.

"I highly doubt that either of them would leave the other. Not with their relationship."

Ruka raised her eyebrows, confused.

'_Their relationship? What the actual hell?'_

"What do you mean by that?"

Koujo gave her a look, screwing the tape into a ball and tossing it into a bin.

"I've been back for less than three months, and I noticed before you? You're obviously not as good at reading people as you thought."

Ruka glared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how Cho and Rose are like Lucy and Rosaline, Ru."

Ruka froze, her mind flashing back to the tragic ending of_ that _particular relationship between two exchange students.

'_Like 'Romeo and Juliet', except it's 'Rosaline and Lucy' and now 'Cho and Rose'. Something tells me that this is going to end badly.'_

Ruka sighed softly under her breath, before turning around to leave.

"Make sure you sleep in the next five days, please, Koujo. And keep in touch. And don't raise any demons, or fight any upper demons, or lower demons, or fight anything for that matter."

Koujo sighed, and headed towards the showers.

"Yes, Ruka."

He walked into the showers, and the door shut, and Ruka was left with an empty basement, and the echoes of a conversation. She whispered to the shadows.

"And for the love of God, stay safe."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Cho Lin had never felt more afraid for her life than she did now.<p>

Her girlfriend, Rose Wood, held her hand as Cho pulled them deeper into Mt. Aso National Park; deeper into the forest.

Behind them, something chased them on four legs.

Or maybe it was several things on four legs; Cho really couldn't tell.

The first one she'd seen had looked like a cross between a rhinoceros and a rat that had been coloured on purple and neon orange paint. It had attacked the bus first, and had knocked it on its side.

The second had tried to rip apart the bus with its claws. It had looked like a mixture of tiger, fly and snake with a pink stomach and a green face.

She hadn't seen the third, or the fourth, or the fifth, but she knew that they were out there; she had seen the tracks, and the shadows.

So, her bus had become a feeding ground for lower demons, which had led to Cho and Rose (who refused to be left behind) jumping out of a broken window and luring the demons away.

Unfortunately, they were now chasing the girls, and weren't too keen on rest stops.

Rose stumbled over a root and fell, dragging Cho with her.

They both froze as Cho's hand came down with a crunch. Cho looked at her hand, and the blood drained from her face. The breakfast that she'd eaten threatened to come up.

"Don't look, Rose." She muttered, using a tree to get to her feet.

She regretted it, when her hand found rope.

Rose had frozen, and was looking at the rope that Cho now held.

"Oh…gods."

Cho looked at the rope.

"A noose." She whispered.

Rose held a hand to her mouth.

"I'm going to be sick." She moaned.

Cho immediately dragged her to her feet.

"No, you're not. We must keep moving."

Rose nodded, and swallowed heavily.

'_She's exhausted, and so am I. But we can't stop, or the demons will catch us. At least we haven't run into an upper demon yet.'_

Cho gave Rose a weak smile, and pulled her away from the tree.

"If we find a cave or something, we could rest there for a while. Somewhere hard to get at for big things."

Rose nodded, and began walking after Cho.

"Do you think that Koujo will come and find us?"

Rose asked a while later, her voice soft and quiet in the mountain air.

Cho paused, and looked at Rose.

"I know he will. He promised that I would always have him."

"But he went to England to study?"

Cho gave Rose a sad smile.

"I told him to go. It was a great opportunity, and that he should take it."

Rose nodded.

"But do you think that he will find us, before the demons do?"

Cho bit her lip.

"I don't know. Let's keep moving."

Rose complied, and Cho started to head up to the top of the mountain.

'_Please, uncle. Come find us soon.'_

_._

_._

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	5. ET- The Extra Territorial

**Tori: Hey guys, I'm about to have a major rant, so brace yourselves.**

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**IT'S HARD TO UPDATE WITH ONLY TWO REVIEWS! **

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**PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THIS MESSAGE!**

**So yeah, enjoy. I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>The traffic to Mt. Aso National Park was a killer.<p>

Koujo thought that he would die of frustration when yet _another_ tour bus pulled out in front of him, and almost knocked him off his motorbike.

'_Deep breaths, deep breaths, only a few more kilometres to go, deep breaths, be polite. Manage you anger, don't give in to it.'_

It was a long, winding road, and he was stuck behind buses that could only go 30km/h up a damn _hill_. Not to mention all the exhaust fumes that he got to breathe in through his helmet when the buses changed down a gear.

_Finally_, his turn off came into view, surrounded by police cars and tape. People in the buses were staring at the scene, but Koujo pulled towards the police officers, spotting Hitori and his wife, Rukia, among them.

Hitori noticed him pull up, and went to get him, but a junior officer moved to intercept.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to ask you to move away, please."

Koujo turned the key in the ignition, and turned off his bike, before pulling off his helmet.

"My name is Koujo Lin; I was asked to come here because of my niece."

Hitori made his way over, but the officer held up his hand.

"I'll need some ID please."

Koujo sighed silently, and pulled out his driver's license, showing the officer the picture and the name.

The officer nodded, and lifted up the tape so that Koujo could walk his bike under. He nodded his thanks, and a senior officer walked up to him.

"Koujo Lin?"

Koujo nodded, and the officer looked him up and down.

"You don't look like you're old enough to be her uncle."

Koujo bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from retorting angrily.

"My brother was older than me by at least ten years. I never really saw him much."

His voice was cool, and Koujo was glad that his grandfather had taught him control.

.

_"If you control your emotions, then you control your mind. A sharp mind is always better to have than a sharp body."_

_"But, grandfather, wouldn't be better to have both a sharp mind and body?"_

_"That is true, boy. But first, you must control your emotions, before they control you."_

_._

The officer snorted, and a different one walked up.

Koujo nodded respectfully as he noticed the badge on his chest that signified that he was a Police Inspector, and a Captain.

The Captain smiled at him slightly.

"Sergeant Kanata tells me that you might be able to help us with…our little problem."

Koujo shot a surprised glance at Hitori, who shrugged.

"Captain Akiyama is pretty open-minded when it comes to the paranormal. I may have mentioned that you had some experience."

Koujo sighed.

"Don't do me any favours."

Akiyama clapped Koujo on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"That's the spirit! The bus had a number done on it, but that was nothing compared to the trees surrounding the site. Half had tracks on or around them, and a few were pushed over. Some kind of skin was found on a bush, but none of our forensics team can identify it."

Koujo shrugged.

"I'll do my best."

Akiyama nodded, but gave Koujo a sympathetic look.

"There has been no sign of your niece, or her friend, Rose. Their tracks led deeper into the forest, before other track overlaid them. We lost them, but our dogs are out there now."

Koujo nodded, his chest tight.

"Thank you."

'_My father would probably kill me for thanking a Japanese police officer, but he was a moron anyway.'_

Koujo followed Akiyama and Hitori to the bus, which still lay on its side. A team of forensic experts crowded around the metal beast, taking pictures and casts of footprints. More were by the treeline, cameras snapping more evidence.

Akiyama called one of the forensic personal over to him, and explained who Koujo was. The woman turned to him, her tightly braided black hair swinging.

"You think you know what hit this bus?"

She asked, her accent something northern. Koujo tilted his head.

"Not until I see the actual damage."

She nodded, and gestured for him to follow her onto the site.

"In all of my five years, I've never seen anything like this. Sure, we've had the strange reports about poltergeists and spirits, but we called in others for that. This time, though, it happened in broad daylight, with several of the students giving vivid descriptions. Though, the colours seem a little off."

She spared him a glance.

"Do these…things normally come in multi-coloured neon paint?"

Koujo stopped, and looked at her keenly.

"Multi-coloured neon paint?"

She nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"I didn't believe it at first, but the other part of forensics pulled up a piece of what looked to be skin. One of the students managed to take a picture on his phone."

Koujo narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at this information, before he did a double take when he saw the bus.

"The pictures didn't make it look _this_ bad." He commented, eyeing the gouge marks on the side, and the rendered metal from the seats.

The woman frowned.

"What pictures?"

Koujo paused, before shrugging, swiftly changing tack, moving closer to the side of the bus. Metal had been shaved away from the side, and there was a massive dent at the front.

'_Rammed off the road, before something attacked the sides. This is a bold move. Demons have never attacked in daylight before.' _

Nimbly, he leapt up onto the side, landing right next to a smashed window.

'**_Master,'_** Tatsuo spoke in his mind,'**_ the blood on the window is Cho's. She was sitting right where the demon was aiming for.'_**

**_'So you think that they were after her?' _**Koujo replied, crouching down to examine the window.

'**_Or you. Attack the Achilles' heel, so to speak. The demon in our last case _****did ****_ask for you.'_**

**_'But why now? What could they possibly gain?'_**

There was silence from Tatsuo, and Koujo knew that their conversation was over. He stood, making sure to be careful where he put his feet, and scanned the treeline, frowning at a spot of odd colour.

'_Damn it all. Damn, damn, damn it all to the darkest reaches of hell. Why does this always happen to me?'_

The forensics woman tilted her head up to gaze at him.

"Any luck?"

Koujo briefly contemplated lying, but decided against it.

'_Just…Damn. They'll need to know sooner or later.'_

He jumped down from the bus, startling the woman.

"Demons. At least two." He stated shortly, moving towards the treeline and ignoring her incredulous look.

'_That colour doesn't belong in trees. It's too bright.'_

He noticed that Akiyama and Hitori paused in their conversation to watch him, and had moved to follow him.

"Koujo?" Hitori ventured, stopping just inside the treeline when Koujo did.

"Hitori, when you did your search, did you look up?"

Hitori and Akiyama froze, and looked up.

There, in the branches at the top of the tree, sat a dark-haired girl, shivering, in the remains of a school uniform.

.

.

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><p><strong>Short.<strong>

**Yes, I know, but my brain is refusing to write much lately, so…**

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	6. Crumbs

**Tori: Thank you lovely people who reviewed. Lucky, there were 5 reviews, so BAMM! NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Thanks for reviewing, and for enjoying my story/ following/ adding to favourites.**

**So, I don't own Ghost Hunt, because if I did, I could afford things.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Michiru Kawasaki had no idea how long she had been up the tree for.<p>

She had climbed down once, but a strange animal had snapped at her legs, so she stayed near the top, where the branches were thinner.

They barely held her weight, and she clung to the trunk as if it were a teddy bear; it gave her a sense of support.

It had rained during the night, and Michiru thought that she had seen more of the creatures hovering around her tree, except these were blue and red, compared to the rainbow of colours she had seen. They would flash on and off at different times, and she could hear voices.

'_Why doesn't anyone call for me, or look for me? I'm up here!'_

She was afraid to call out; the monsters might come back. They might try to knock the tree down again.

From her vantage point, she could see a tall man examining the bus, before he stood, and looked in her direction.

Michiru wanted to wave, but the tree rocked alarmingly in the wind, and she only gripped it tighter, shutting her eyes. When she opened them again, he was gone.

She had no idea what had possessed her to climb out of the bus and run for the trees, scratching herself on a piece of metal. Or what had made her climb the tree; she hated heights.

Her uniform was ripped and shredded; it offered little protection form the cold winds that bent her tree. Her leg was still bleeding, but it was slower than it had been when she had first done it.

She was hungry, and tired, and wanted to curl up on her couch with a heavy blanket and a cup of hot tea.

Her hair was a complete mess as well, she was sure. She'd climbed through a few spider webs, and hit her head on a branch several times. Some loose strands were falling in front of her eyes, and were caked with dirt.

She blinked suddenly, as a flashlight was shone into her eyes.

She looked down, and the tall man from before was standing at the base of her tree, along with two police officers.

"Miss? Can you come down? You're safe now!"

The younger police officer called, giving her a smile.

Michiru nodded, and started to climb down slowly, whimpering slightly when her leg hit the tree and caused her scratch to open more.

'_What if they're working for the monsters?'_ a tiny voice whispered inside her head.

Michiru told it to shut up.

She finally made it to the bottom, where she was swept into a blanket, and had a hot cup of tea shoved into her hands.

She took a grateful sip, but kept watching her surroundings; watching for the monsters.

Her gaze locked with the tall man's, and for a second, she froze, as she took in his face shape, and his build.

"Are…are you Cho's father?" she asked him, her voice croaky and hoarse from disuse.

The tall man gritted his teeth and looked away slightly, clenching his fists, before turning back to her, his face composed.

"Her uncle. Why?"

Michiru sighed, as her eyelids dropped.

'_Why am I so tired? It feels like I'm swimming in tar. My limbs are so heavy.'_

"She…left something for you. She said that you would know what it means; it's on the bamboo tree behind you."

The tall man turned around and took a few steps to his left, examining the tree. The younger police officer helped Michiru to her feet, sucking in air through his teeth when he saw the bloody mess that was her leg.

"It's a miracle that it missed her artery. It's just a few millimetres down." He commented, and the other police officer, a captain, wrote something down in his notebook.

There was a sudden intake of breath, and both officers turned around to face the tall man, who was looking at some writing on the tree, underneath a jade dragon pendant which hung on a silver chain.

The younger officer leaned over.

"Koujo? What does it say?"

The tall man, or Koujo, bit his lip.

"'_It is better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness.'_ It's an old Chinese proverb. She means that… it's better to do something, than to sit around and wait."

"Oh?"

The older policeman frowned.

"She ran away to distract the demons, instead of getting eaten." Koujo clarified.

Understanding dawned on both of the officer's faces, before the younger one moved to pick up Michiru.

She wanted to protest, but her eyelids began to shut.

Before the black came, she saw Koujo pocket the pendant, a sad look on his face.

The older officer said something to him, and the blackness stole her away.

.

Madoka sat in Lin's office, using his laptop to get information on the crash.

So far, it was listed under a car crash, in which a family of four was involved, when the car flipped. Three of the girls were missing; all college age.

The driver was in hospital.

Madoka glared at the screen, eyes narrowed.

'_Oh so hush hush about this. What are they hiding?'_

Madoka clicked off the website, and swivelled around on Koujo's chair several times, just because he wasn't there to stop her.

She jumped out of her skin when her cell rang in the main office, and she rushed to answer it. Mai gave her a smirk, and Masako, from her position next to the filing cabinet, hid a smile.

"Madoka Mori."

"**Hey, Ka, it's me."**

Madoka smiled slightly when she heard Koujo's voice on the phone, but it fell instantly as she detected some pain behind it.

"Hey, you. Are you alri…stupid question, never mind."

She put cell onto speaker, so that others could hear.

"Did you find them?"

There was a deep breath, before it hitched slightly.

**"No. I didn't find them. We found the third girl, Kawasaki-san. Cho left me a lovely little riddle and her necklace. No sign of Rose."**

"Oh my Lord." Madoka breathed.

"Where are you now?"

**"Heading towards the city. I'll be home in time for dinner."**

Madoka grinned.

"Oh, you remembered? You forgot last time."

Mai and Masako exchanged confused glances, but Madoka ignored them.

"**It was hardly my fault, Ka. Who's cooking, anyway?"**

"Ruka, why?"

There was silence, before a snort was heard.

"**You want me to pick up some takeaways? Ruka gave us food poisoning last time."**

"Koujo, don't be mean. You could pick up some ice-cream, if you're inclined. You could also give me a ride back."

Madoka reprimanded, and asked cheekily.

There was a frustrated sigh, before a muted curse.

"**Damn teenager can't indicate. Whatever; I think I have a spare helmet on me. I'll be at the office in about ten minutes, yeah?"**

Madoka grinned, and pumped her fists.

"Okay! Stay safe! Love you!"

There was a pause, before a huff of air came in over the phone.

"**Love you too, Imouto. See you soon."**

The call ended, and Madoka slumped onto the couch, her head in her hands. Masako came over to her, and Mai stopped filing.

"Madoka?" Masako queried, taking in the slumped shoulders.

"He didn't find them."

Madoka whispered, gazing at Masako.

"He's devastated, and very close to breaking down. The only reason he hasn't is because he's no use to anyone upset."

Mai frowned.

"He didn't sound upset."

Madoka gave a sad smile.

"He hardly does."

Mai and Masako exchanged glances, before Masako frowned.

"Imouto?"

Madoka smiled a bit brighter this time.

"Little sister. He's called me that for years."

Mai tilted her head.

"So, your relationship is more platonic than romantic?"

Madoka laughed.

"Definitely platonic, Mai. Koujo hasn't dated anyone for seven years."

Masako hid a grin, before Madoka realized what she said.

Mai pounced.

"He said his ex-girlfriend was called Tori Li. Was that the last person he dated?"

Madoka simply stood up and grabbed her coat and bag, going out the door.

"That's a secret! Bye!"

The two girls echoed the call, and Madoka shut the door behind her, just as Koujo pulled up on his motorbike.

Madoka smiled at him, and took the offered helmet, pulling it on while sliding onto the bike behind him.

Koujo accelerated as soon as Madoka had her arms around his waist, and Madoka laughed.

"What?"

The question came from inside her helmet, a built in walkie talkie.

"You. Rebel in a leather jacket riding a motorbike. Get out of the eighties!"

"I wasn't old enough to drive in the eighties!"

Madoka just laughed again, holding on tightly as they swerved through traffic.

"Come on, Ani. Live a little!"

She heard a slight chuckle, and smiled.

'_Now all he has to do is give us a real smile.'_

_._

_._

**_Please comment!_**

**_Minimum of 5 reviews!_**


	7. Fantastic Ms Fox

**Tori: I've been a bad girl. I said that I would update as soon as I got 5 reviews, and I got the fifth one yesterday. I may have been distracted by some other Fanfics XD.**

**Enjoy the story, but I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

.

A woman stood on her balcony, dark auburn hair whipping around her face as the breeze tossed it back and forth. A single grey eye surveyed the landscape before her; the other hidden behind a thick fringe that covered it up.

She had a name, once. A very long time ago.

But that person didn't really exist anymore; her views and thoughts had been overridden with the passage of time. The once naïve woman who had been thrown into a world of monsters and demons was now a huntress.

Some days, she couldn't remember her name; she never used it much. She went by Fox, now; as cunning and sly and stealthy as her namesake.

Fox took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, the crickets chirping loudly, as bird calls echoed throughout Mt. Aso National Park. It was a quiet, serene kind of peaceful; one that couldn't be found in any of the neighbouring cities and towns.

The sun was just peaking over the tops of the trees, and the sky was painted various shades of pink, yellow and blue.

The whole vibe of peace and calmness was shattered by a scream, startling birds and other animals, followed by a thundering roar.

Fox swept the forest for signs of a fight, and was rewarded when a flock of bird rose in flight Northwest of her position.

Running back inside her house, and grabbing a katana, she raced back out into the forest, hunting for the owner of the scream.

'_And the day started out so nicely.'_

Trees blurred past as she ran, and she leapt over fallen logs, weaving though the bamboo.

She burst into a small clearing, where five hideous creatures faced off two teenage girls.

The first one, a blonde, obviously had a broken ankle, and was leaning against a tree, a stick held defensively in her hands. Her school uniform was ripped, and her hair, once tied up in a tight bun, now hung around her shoulders.

The second girl, however, caught Fox's eyes immediately.

She had long, black hair, tied up in a braid, and was also in a ripped school uniform, but with a tear down the side where a creature had caught her with a blow. She also held a stick, but she held it like it was a _bo_, and not a sword.

'_Training? Interesting; it looks like these two have been running for a while.'_

Fox examined the creatures, and swore softly.

'_Lower demons. They haven't dared to enter this place for at least five years.'_

One of the demons rushed towards the black-haired girl, who swung the stick, hard.

The end embedded itself in the demons neck, and the girl dropped the stick; the weight of the demon dragging it out of her hands. The girl cursed, and Fox gave a start when she realized that it was Chinese, and definitely wasn't worth repeating.

"Rose, stay back!"

The girl called, moving closer to the blonde girl, who rolled her eyes.

"With this ankle, I'm not going anywhere."

Fox gave a slight smile at the bickering, but it fell as one of the other demons advanced. Fox gave a feral grin from her place in the shadows.

'_Shall we play a game?'_

She leapt out and slammed into the side of the closest demon, causing it to stagger sideways. Using the rebound, Fox swung onto its back, wrapping her legs around its reptilian neck.

Swinging her katana, she sliced into it throat, causing black blood to splash out of the wound, burning her skin. Hissing, she rolled off the demon, ending in a crouch in front of the two girls.

Three of the remaining demons snarled, while one hissed.

"**You should not have left home, Yin. This is no longer your fight."**

Fox bared her teeth as the leftmost demon spoke in her mother tongue- Korean.

"**And you should not have left the dark, festering pit where you came from, demon."**

She hissed, before leaping forward to sink her blade into the demons chest. More blood splatted on her, and her clothes started to steam from the acidic blood.

Fox withdrew her katana in time to block a strike from the rightmost demon, before flipping backwards to avoid a swipe from the third demon. The two girls were now right up against the tree, and the dark-haired one held a new stick.

With a flash, a red vapour swirled in front of the first demon, materializing into a silver-haired woman wielding two knives. Fox growled at the newcomer.

**"Xia,'** she called to her shiki in Korean, who was, technically, on loan,' **It took you long enough to show up."**

Xia merely shrugged, and decapitated the demon she was facing, while Fox cut open an artery on her one, leaving it to bleed to death.

**"I was delayed**." Was the obscene comment.

Fox hissed, and whirled around to face the last demon, dodging its scorpion tail, and slicing through one of its legs.

"**Five minutes earlier would have helped, you know. Five measly minutes."**

**"Stop complaining. I'm here now, aren't I?"**

Fox finished off her demon, and wiped her blade on the grass.

"**A bit late, wouldn't you say?"**

Xia said nothing, and focused on cleaning her knives. Fox turned to the two girls.

"How many more are there?"

Both girls looked at her blankly, and for a moment, Fox had thought that she'd spoken in Korean out of habit, but for the fact that she _knew_ that she'd asked the question in Japanese. She sighed, and asked again.

"How many more demons are there?"

The dark haired one spoke.

"There were only five."

The blond one tried to stand, but her ankle collapsed, and the other girl grabbed her before she could face-plant.

"We're fine; we can take it from here." The dark one said coolly, her heterochromia eyes staring at Fox unflinchingly. Fox ran her eyes over both of them.

Dark's shoulders were slumped, her legs were trembling slightly, the wound at her side was bleeding slightly, and she had dirt and grime all over her face.

The blonde had a broken ankle, looked just as tired as the first, and looked like she was going to break down any minute.

"I can see that." She raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Do you know where you are?"

Both the girls shook their heads.

"We…we were headed up to the shrine at the top of Mt. Aso. Uncle said that demons wouldn't follow us there."

Dark explained. Fox blinked, and frowned.

'_Not many people know that. Her uncle must be some kind of spiritualist.'_

"He's correct." She said out loud, wincing at the awkwardness of her Japanese. She hadn't used it for a while.

"Demons don't go near shrines because it's holy ground."

Dark and Blonde nodded, but still looked wary.

Fox exchanged a glance with Xia, who shrugged.

"**They won't last ten minutes out here. Not with that ankle. Maybe you should take them to your place, and fix their injuries."**

Fox sighed in frustration.

"Fine." She turned to the girls.

"If it is okay with you, I would like to treat your injuries at my home. You may also clean up, and eat. You both look like you're about to fall over."

Dark looked at Blonde, who nodded.

"My ankle is killing me." Blonde whispered.

Dark nodded, and turned to Fox, her gaze suspicious.

"I would like to know your name before we go anywhere, however."

Fox shrugged.

"You can call me Fox. I haven't used my name for years."

Dark nodded, and gestured to Blonde.

"This is Rose Wood. She's from England."

Rose gave Fox a small wave, and Fox smiled at her. Dark continued.

"My name is Cho Lin."

Fox stiffened as a rush of memories that she had carefully suppressed came flooding back.

_._

_A tall boy rolling his eyes, his fringe covering his left eye._

_._

_Holding hands while walking through a park, while his other hand brushed cherry blossoms out of her hair._

_._

_An arm around her shoulders, and a comforting hug after a nightmare._

_._

_Pitch black hair falling to the ground with each snip of the scissors._

_._

_Fingers moving across a keyboard faster than she thought was possible, codes and commands forming._

.

One name, one name that she hadn't wanted to think about, flashed in her vision.

_._

_._

_Koujo._

.

.

.

**Short? Yes.**

**Review, and maybe they'll be longer.**

**Maybe.**

**In answer to some reviews, I need to clarify a point.**

**.**

**Lin and Madoka will not be together in this fic.**

**I may be inclined to write a different one that is Lindoka friendly, like a one-shot, or a pre-series, but Lin and Madoka have a platonic relationship in this one.**

**Sorry.**

**Also, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**

**TWENTY SECONDS PEOPLE!**

**TWENTY SECONDS IS ALL IT TAKES!**

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	8. About John

**Hey everyone!**

**So…I love leaving you at the edge, with so many questions, but in case you missed the ending of my last chapter, I will clarify the points again.**

**.**

**Lin and Madoka will not be together.**

**.**

**I may be inclined or requested to write a Lindoka fic, but I need to finish this story, and the next one, before that happens.**

**Sorry for all you Lindoka fans; I myself am one.**

**However, I wanted to write a platonic relationship for both of them at first.**

**I do not own Ghost Hunt, so enjoy the story.**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Oliver stared at the file that Mai had composed for a new case.<p>

'_What. The. Actual. Hell? Do people honestly never think about what they're doing?'_

His gaze flicked over the key words that Mai had thoughtfully highlighted for him, but only served to make his headache worse.

**.**

**…Warehouse shut down in 2003…**

**…Unknown cause of death…**

**…Blood on site…**

**…Objects moving/ smashing into walls…**

**…Persons dragged (or pushed) down stairs…**

**…Scorch marks on the walls…**

**…Small pentagrams found on managers desk…**

.

Underneath it was Mai's neat scrawl in English; she claimed that she needed the practise, but Oliver knew that Mai had discovered his slight weakness at reading Kanji.

_._

_Maybe demons again? Lin might know, or we could ask Madoka. The objects moving sounds like poltergeists; maybe a dead worker? I'm not sure; Yasu's checking the history. _

_P.S. Try to sleep more; I can see the rings under your eyes._

.

Oliver snorted at the last note, before glancing at his cellphone.

'_Call? Don't call? Call? Don't call? Dammit, this would be so much easier if Lin's niece hadn't gone missing.'_

He sighed, and picked up his cellphone, scrolling through his contacts to find the Onmyouji under "_The Giant."_

He nearly jumped when his cell started to vibrate, indicating a call. The caller ID was _'The Giant."_

_'Speak of the devil himself.'_

He answered.

"Oliver."

"_Naru, it's me. I'm coming into work tomorrow."_

Oliver frowned.

"Did something happen?"

There was a sigh, and Oliver could hear the faint tapping of Lin's fingers on his keyboard.

"_I didn't find them. Hitori; the police officer; told me that all I could do is wait."_

"Which is what you're doing?"

_"Not exactly. I'm tracking her phone at the moment, but it's no use if she's not in service."_

Oliver frowned, and wondered briefly if Lin tracked his phone as well. He shook his head, rolling his eyes at the thought.

"Well, you rang at the right time. We have a case, and we're leaving tomorrow."

"_That was quick. Do you have the file?"_

"It's sitting right in front of me. I'm leaving early tonight; I can email it to you."

"_Thanks."_ There was silence, and Oliver bit his lip, sensing that Lin wanted to say something else.

"_Date with Mai-san tonight?"_

There was a teasing note in his voice, and Oliver took a deep breath, clenching his fists.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Or rather, going out with Mai, Hara-san, Yasu, Father Brown and Nollene."

"_Look at you, being all social. Puts me to shame, really."_

"I'm sure Madoka could drag you out with her evening with Matsuzaki and Monk."

"_Nah, Tajo's in town tonight; Madoka's going out with him, so I don't want to intrude."_ There was a pause. "_Or be the third, or fifth wheel, in this case."_

Oliver smirked.

"Poor Lin; all lonely."

"_I might drag one of my flatmates out for a drink, and watch her get spectacularly drunk, and take photos. Or I'll finish coding that website that Martin wants up. I have no shortage of things to do, so don't worry about me. Go have fun."_

Oliver's smirk grew.

"I won't worry about you, and as for the fun?" Oliver thought about two people who would make this night interesting.

"Don't worry, I will."

He hung up, and picked up the file.

_Blackmail time._

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

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><p>"…so I told him to get his own flippin' art folder, because I wasn't his slut!"<p>

Nollene concluded, amid raucous laughter from Yasu, giggles from Mai and Masako, and a wry grin from John, who looked slightly out of place with all the innuendo's being thrown around.

Her brother, however, looked relaxed for the first time in…ages. He had declined alcohol, so John wasn't the only one who wasn't drinking; a gesture that John obviously appreciated.

He was also seated next to Mai, and had his arm around her shoulders, while she leaned against him, so that might have accounted for something.

"So, morons are the same all around the world, huh."

Yasu commented, sneaking a sly gaze at Nollene. Nollene rolled her eyes, and took a sip from her mocktail.

"That's nothing compared to Gene's…funeral."

Nollene ended, her voice halting, and looking for her brother's reaction. To her surprise, he'd raised an eyebrow, and was smirking.

"Was this the boyfriend rumours or the mix-up of names?"

Nollene blinked at his casual tone, before smirking back.

"Both."

Oliver groaned, and his head fell back against the seat, while Mai laughed at his frustrated expression.

"What boyfriend rumours?"

Masako asked, a light smile on her face.

Nollene had been surprised that she'd accepted the invitation; the girl acted like a statue sometimes. But she was rewarded with a smile when she'd asked.

One that hadn't been hidden by the kimono sleeve.

John smiled at them, and took a sip of his lemonade, rolling his eyes.

"Something tells me that someone crashed the funeral?"

Oliver nodded at John.

"Correct. Some of the girls from Nollene's school."

Nollene shook her head, and adopted a matronly tone.

"Not like the good Catholic girls they were raised to be. Such sin and disobedience."

There was an awkward silence when Nollene realized what she'd just said, and had mocked a Catholic nun.

In front of a Catholic priest.

John had pursed his lips, and was staring at Nollene.

Everyone was slightly shocked when he started laughing, unrestrained.

"You…sounded…exactly…like my high school teacher, after she'd caught me…pulling pranks on some of the girls at school."

He managed to gasp out, between laughter.

Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"And here I was thinking that only Gene pulled pranks in a Catholic school."

John shook his head, laughter dying down.

"I went to a public school. My parents were both very involved with the church, so everyone expected all of us to be well behaved."

John paused.

"It gave us a cause for rebellion during our teenage years."

Masako frowned over the top of her wine; her eighteenth birthday had passed a few days ago.

"Us?"

John looked at her, and shrugged.

"I'm the youngest. The eldest is my sister, Esther. Then my brothers; Matthew, Mark, Luke- who's adopted, and then me."

Nollene started laughing, followed by Oliver's chuckles. John gave then an indulgent smile.

"Horrible, right?"

Mai frowned, and Nollene gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Esther is a book in the Old Testament in the Bible. However, it is one of two books in the entire Bible that is named after a female."

Oliver explained, and understanding dawned on the faces of Mai, Masako and Yasu.

"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the first four books in the New Testament."

Nollene giggled, before frowning.

"Luke is adopted?"

John nodded.

"He's Japanese, and he taught me the language. He was adopted before I was born, hence the order of the names."

Yasu grinned.

"Does the Bible naming follow in the family?"

John grimaced.

"It does. My mother is called Ruth, and my father is called Peter. Then there's my Uncle's Ezra, Obadiah, Joshua and Jude. My Aunts are called Rachel, Mary and Miriam. The only person that I know of that _isn't _named after someone in the Bible is my Aunt Ailse, who married Uncle Josh."

Yasu whistled.

"So what's your middle name?"

John groaned, and the others laughed, Nollene rolling her eyes.

"Can I guess?"

She asked. John nodded sighing resignedly.

"Is it Daniel?"

John shook his head.

"Guess again."

"Levi?"

"Based of Leviticus? No."

"Jonah?"

"Somehow I doubt that his parent would be cruel enough to give him two names starting with J." Oliver broke in. "Am I right?"

John nodded.

"You can help, you know."

Nollene snapped at her brother who merely smirked, and turned to study John. Nollene continued guessing.

"Timothy?"

"No."

"Joel?"

No."

"Micah?"

No."

"Nehemiah?"

"Definitely not!"

"Jeremiah?"

"No."

"Amos?"

.

"It's Malachi."

.

Oliver broke in, and John and Nollene paused, staring at him, along with the rest of the table.

Oliver looked around, before focusing on John.

"Am I right?"

John blinked, and whistled.

"You're good. It took you one go."

Nollene huffed, and slumped down in her chair.

"Jerk."

Mai rolled her eyes.

"You only just noticed?"

Oliver smirked, and Nollene sighed.

"No, I knew that a long time ago, when he graduated from school at fourteen. And then proceeded to get his doctorate at fifteen."

"_Nollene_."

Oliver hissed, and Nollene froze, realizing the information that she'd just let slip.

"Oops?"

Mai tilted her head.

"You told me once that your brain worked differently from mine. How differently?"

"He's a mathematical genius, and has a very analytical brain."

Nollene supplied, ignoring the death glares that were being sent her way with practised ease.

"As if I wasn't enough of a freak already."

Oliver muttered, looking away. Mai sighed, and grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look at her.

"And we're not? I have an internal ghost magnet, take long walks on the astral plane and have psychic dreams, and am missing a hell-load of memories.

Masako sees spirits; end of story.

Yasu reads books at freakishly fast speeds, and has insane computer skills.

John exorcises spirits by chanting in Latin and carries around holy water everywhere.

Nollene has PK-LT. And let's not even start on the older members."

Oliver smiled down at her, meeting her eyes.

Nollene coughed, breaking the moment before they could start kissing.

Although that would mean that she won the bet.

"Lin is tall, types at insane speeds…"

She began, causing the table to laugh again.

Masako shook her head, before giving a sly smile.

"Weren't we talking about the boyfriend rumours at Gene's funeral?"

Oliver closed his eyes, and Nollene took the gap, launching into her tale.

"So, at the funeral, there were these girls from my school who only came because they followed Gene around, and were hoping to get the in's with Noll…"

.

.

**Extra-long chapter for all my reviewers, old and new (I have new people who read my story!).**

**Thanks for reading, now PLEASE REVIEW!**

**LOVE REVIEWS!**


	9. The Perks of Being a Dead Guy

**Thanks to all reviewers for the last chapter, and for the PM's.**

**So, I decided to update, now that I have the allocated five reviews XD**

**I don't own Ghost Hunt, but enjoy the story anyway.**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Masako instantly hated the warehouse.<p>

It was positively flooded with spirits, and they were the annoying '_please help me first, I'm desperate'_ kind; the ones that won't shut up.

That, and Mai had almost thrown up as soon as she set foot inside. John had looked pretty green as well, and Monk had gone pale.

Masako had spotted Lin, from the corner of her eye, have to brace himself against the doorframe, much to the concern of Naru.

Madoka wasn't on this case; Lin had said something about a boyfriend visiting to Naru.

Ayako frowned at Masako as they walked through the warehouse, noticing the medium's annoyed face, and stiff shoulders.

"Everything alright?"

Masako gritted her teeth, and refrained from yelling at the miko; wanting to punch the wall over and over again until her knuckles bled. She took a deep breath.

'_I will not scream. I will not scream. I will not scream.'_

"No." She hissed, glaring at a particularly persistent spirit who was hovering next to a storage closet.

"They won't shut up, they won't leave me alone, and they're acting like stalkers."

Ayako nodded, and placed a comforting hand on Masako's shoulder.

"How many?"

Masako snarled under her breath at a spirit who was about to touch her, and gave another a frosty glare that sent it running (or floating; she wasn't sure of the term) through the wall.

"A lot. Maybe an explosion, or a shooting. Why are we taking this case again?"

"Because the owner wants to re-model the factory for car manufacturing, and not wood-milling."

Masako sighed, and closed her eyes briefly.

"_Of course._ Because deaths in a car factory are _so_ much more different than ones in a wood-mill."

Ayako stifled a laugh, and Masako sighed again, this time in relief, as base came into view. Ayako had placed wards up around base ever since Mai…had her accident. They served to block spirits, which meant that Masako could have a break.

Not that she could ever _really_ have a break from this whole medium business.

Thanks to her father's ideas.

Masako entered the base, and made a beeline for Mai, who was glaring at the contents of a massive file.

'_History of the place. Bet she's having fun.'_

Masako sat down next to her friend, who sighed.

"Sometimes I hate The Narcissist."

Mai muttered, after looking around to see if she could spot Naru anywhere. Masako hid a smile, and smirked at her friend.

"Yet you two looked pretty comfortable last night in the corner."

Mai blushed, and ducked her head, so that her hair hid her face.

"Shut _up_, Masako. The senior members don't know about that."

"Know about what?" Ayako asked, catching wind of their conversation. Masako and Mai both turned innocent looks onto their older friend/ mother figure.

"Nothing!" they chorused, hiding sniggers and smirks behind their hands.

Ayako shook her head and moved to the other side of the table, picking up a few newspaper clippings from the file.

"Fine then. Have your little secrets." Ayako muttered, eyes fixed onto the words in front of her.

Masako frowned, as she became aware of several things.

"Mai? How come Naru and Lin aren't in here?"

Mai blinked, before shaking her head.

"Lin went on a walk through with John; considering what happened last case, Naru thought that it would be best of two people with a different skill set went together. Monk and Naru went to go interro…talk to the old manager of the mill. I think that Monk wanted to try reassuring the manager, after Naru's questioning tactics."

Masako rolled her eyes.

"Good luck with that. What about Yasu and Nollene?"

"Still doing research. I feel sorry for Yasu."

Masako frowned.

"Why?"

"Because he's chasing after Nollene, and she's playing hard to get."

Ayako snorted, and picked up another newspaper clipping.

"Good for her. Yasu needs to be put back into his place."

The door opened, and Lin walked in, followed closely by John, who looked pale. Lin, on the other hand, looked thoughtful, if not a slight bit…frustrated.

"What did you find?"

Mai asked, pulling out a purple notebook and a pen. Masako smirked at the habit that Mai had picked up from a certain someone.

John sat down on the couch next to Ayako, who glanced at him, concerned.

John was even paler up close, and his skin had a greenish tint. His hands were shaking, and he kept looking around nervously, eyes flickering over every surface.

Mai narrowed her eyes.

"What happened?"

John swallowed, and Masako noted that Lin had opened up a Word document.

John took a deep breath, all traces of laughter gone.

"We were walking on the catwalk that spanned the cutting machinery, when I heard a voice, calling for help. I looked over the catwalk, and there was a man, operating a saw, while another man was strapped to the table."

Mai was writing furiously, and Lin was typing, as normal.

"The man tied to the table started to scream for help, and the man working the saw…he…" John broke off, standing suddenly and moving towards the window, taking deep, calming breaths.

"His legs were cut off first, just below the knee."

Masako, Mai and Ayako jumped at Lin spoke up, his fingers pausing their dance with the keyboard momentarily.

"The saw cut through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter. Next, he was cut in half. He must have been given some kind of drug, because he hadn't passed out from the pain."

Lin's voice was flat and emotionless; devoid of any kind of feeling.

Mai and Masako huddled together, while Ayako had dropped the clippings that she'd been looking at. Naru and Monk had entered, and had stopped in the doorway.

"There was blood, all over the saw and bench, but the second man wasn't finished. He moved the saw to position it halfway up the first man's chest, and cut through that. The man bleed to death, but any of those injuries would have caused him to die anyway."

John swallowed, while Lin turned to face them.

"We didn't think anything of it,' John began, hands clenched on the windowsill,' until a woman took his place, and the whole procedure began again."

Naru blinked.

"Did you recognise any of the victims, or the man operating the saw?"

John shook his head, and Lin glanced towards the monitors, eyes looking for something that wasn't there. Naru pounced on this.

"Lin?"

Lin took a deep breath, before turning to John.

"You saw your family, right? Your parents being the first, perhaps. But who was operating the saw?"

John flinched.

"What are you talking about?"

Lin turned around in his chair, facing John directly.

"The first person to die looked like my grandfather, Feng. The woman looked like my sister, Mei. The man operating the saw looked like…" Lin paused, and swallowed thickly, before continuing softly,' …looked like my father."

There was a thick silence, and John took a few deep breaths.

"My sister, Esther, and my older brother, Matthew. The person operating the saw was…the priest at my old church in Melbourne, before we moved to Sydney. He used to hit the kids in Sunday School."

Naru frowned.

"But why those people? They can't have worked in this factory."

Mai bit her lip, and Masako noticed.

"Mai?"

Mai ran a hand through her already messy hair.

"I bet if I had seen it, it would have been my parents, or Monk and Ayako, or Naru and Masako. The person operating the saw would probably be someone I hate, right?"

Naru went pale, and Masako felt sick.

'_What ghosts of mine would be dragged up, if I saw this…thing?'_

Mai glanced at Naru, who'd leaned against the doorframe.

"Naru?" Lin asked, looking concerned.

Naru slid down the doorframe, clutching his head.

"I didn't think…" he looked at Lin.

"I'm sorry."

Lin frowned, and moved to crouch next to Naru. Masako leaned heavily against Mai, as a dark presence made itself known, before disappearing just as quickly.

"I brushed against a curtain on my way in. It must have had blood on it."

Lin sucked in a breath.

"Resist it."

Naru glared up at the tall Chinese man.

"What do you think I'm doing? I…damn."

Naru slid the rest of the way down the doorframe to the floor, and Lin caught him before he hit the ground.

"Idiot." Lin muttered, picking up the now unconscious teenager, and placing him on the couch that Ayako had vacated as soon as he collapsed.

Mai walked over to Naru, and Masako watched carefully at her reaction.

"What happened?"

"He used psychometry; he tries not to as often as possible, due to…"  
>Lin trailed off, turning away and moving back to the monitors.<p>

"All we can do is wait for him to wake up."

Masako watched as Mai placed herself not-so-discreetly near Naru, picking up the clippings that Ayako dropped.

Masako sighed softly.

'_Waiting. Waiting is the worst part.'_

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Oliver knew that something was wrong as soon as he opened his eyes.<p>

_He wasn't in the past_.

'_Well, this is just fantastic.'_ Oliver though sarcastically, getting to his feet.

He recognised the place as the astral plane; when Gene had dragged him there once by accident. The white lights floating everywhere were a slight giveaway.

Out of curiosity, he touched one that was floating next to him.

It expanded, until it formed a tall woman, with brown hair tied up in a bun, and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of square glasses.

'_The Executive Officer from the wood-mill.'_ Oliver started in surprise, eyeing the floating spirits with something close to trepidation.

'_If they're all here, then what happened?'_

"They're trapped here, until they can be cleansed."

Oliver spun around in shock at the voice, as familiar to him as his own.

"Gene?"

Gene stood next to him, hands in his pockets.

He looked different to last time Oliver had seen him; older, more tired, and with longer hair, and a trace of stubble on his jaw. He was a little broader in the shoulders; same as Oliver, although, Oliver noted with shock, that Gene was slightly shorter than him.

"You look pretty lively, for a dead guy." Oliver noted, frowning.

"I didn't think ghosts aged."

Gene sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"No, we don't. However, you do. So I age with you, without the benefits of haircuts and a razor."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, amused.

"That's seriously what you're going to complain about?"

Gene shook his head, smiling.

"Nah. The perks of being dead mean that I don't have to go to the dentist ever again, and I don't have to eat. Although,' Gene paused, and looked annoyed,' I would kill for a piece of Mei's apple pie."

Oliver laughed; the first in years, and, after a moment's pause, Gene joined in as well, leaning on his younger brother.

Oliver shook his head, smiling, before something occurred to him.

"How come you haven't passed on? I buried you."

Gene looked uncomfortable, and looked away.

"Apparently, my work isn't finished, for some reason. So, I'm stuck here, floating after your idiot scientist butt."

Oliver shoved Gene, mock-glaring.

"Haha, very funny."

Gene rolled his eyes, and stared out into the distance, eyes focused on one of the spirits spinning around. Oliver watched his brother smirk at something, before frowning.

"Mai said that she had a new spirit guide."

Gene froze.

"Do you know anything about her, Gene? Someone called Frost."

Gene bit his lip.

"Frost came to me, after I was buried. She asked to take over Mai's spiritual education, and I let her. She's an Astral Projectionist, with a few…odd abilities. She's been teaching Mai well."

Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"Odd abilities?"

Gene shrugged.

"She wouldn't say; they could possibly be darker, but I'm not sure."

Gene tilted his head, as if listening to something.

"You should wake up soon. When you do, tell them that the demon sees their deepest fears, and projects them. The only way to kill it, is to overcome your fears."

Gene started to fade, but he whispered one final piece of advice.

"Tell Lin that he shouldn't worry about Cho and Rose. They're safe, and in the Panther's den."

Oliver felt himself get pushed out of the astral plane, and start a freefall into blackness and oblivion.  
>.<p>

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**Read and Review, and you might get a quick update! ;) **

**Live long and Prosper.**


	10. The Awful Truth

**Thank you to reviewers and all you lovely people who followed/favourited this story; I'm glad you are enjoying it.**

**So, I don't own Ghost Hunt, otherwise John, Lin, Madoka and Ayako would get more screen time.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Mai felt unbalanced.<p>

Usually, it was her on the couch, and Naru sitting by; so Mai felt a bit disorientated.

She spared him another glance; the third in the past minute.

"He's not going to be moving for a while, Taniyama-san. You should get some rest."

Mai jumped at the sound of Lin's voice, and turned around to face him, shoulders set.

"Why don't _you_ get some rest?" She retorted, sending him a glare.

Lin shrugged.

"First night; I have work to do."

Mai glanced at the window; the moon was halfway into the sky, and there were a few clouds skimming over the sky. The sun had set three hours before, and Mai yawned.

"I suppose I could, but…No!"

Mai slapped herself across the face, effectively making her hand hurt and leaving a red mark on her cheek, as well as waking her up.

There was a muffled noise that sounded like a sneeze from Lin, but Mai shook her head.

'_Lin…can't be…laughing, can he?'_

"I'm serious, Taniyama-san. You're no use to Naru if you're half asleep tomorrow. You know he'll only scold you if you fall asleep during the day."

Mai sighed, and glanced over at Naru, to see him smile slightly in his sleep.

"Lin?"

"Mmm?"

"Does Naru normally smile when he uses psychometry?"

Lin swivelled around in his chair, and frowned.

"What?"

Mai pointed at the comatose teenager, who still had a slight smile on his face.

Lin shook his head, slightly amused.

"Idiot scientist."

As if Naru had heard him, his eyelids flickered, before he woke up, hand immediately going to his forehead, while his gaze blearily fixed on Mai.

"Mai?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes.

Mai smiled at him.

"Hi. You slept for a long time."

"It was only three hours,' Lin commented,' he's taken longer to wake up."

"Nice to see you to." Naru muttered, sitting up, wincing as all the blood rushed to his head.

Mai giggled, and Naru gave her a small grin, eyes locking with hers for a fraction longer than he intended. There was a cough, and Mai looked away, blushing.

Naru sent a glare towards Lin, to which the tall Chinese man ignored. Mai looked at Naru in concern as he suddenly paled, and leaned forward; resting his head in his hands.

"Naru?"

Naru looked at Mai, and then looked back down at his hands, that had started to shake.

"Gene, he…he didn't…cross over. He pulled me into the astral plane just before."

Lin froze in his typing, and Mai stiffened, her hands grasping one of Naru's.

"Did he say why?" Mai asked.

Naru nodded, squeezing Mai's hand before letting it go.

"He said, and I quote, "_Apparently, my work isn't finished, for some reason. So, I'm stuck here, floating after your idiot scientist butt_."

Lin chuckled, and Mai looked at him, confused.

"Can people do that? Pull you into the astral plane?"

Naru nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the couch.

"If they're powerful enough, or have a connection, or bond with that person, then yes, they can pull you into the astral plane."

Mai placed a hand on his chest to stop him from rising, and then blushed at the intimate contact; embarrassed by her brazenness. Naru also had a faint pink tinge on his cheeks, which grew slightly more noticeable when a barely disguised snigger came from Lin's direction.

"Oh, and Gene had a message for you, Lin."

Lin turned around in his seat, and slung his elbow over the back of his chair, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh?"

Naru nodded, but looked slightly confused.

"He said not to worry, because Cho and Rose are safe, and are in the Panther's den."

The reaction that Mai was expecting from Lin at this news was that he'd just nod, and go back to typing.

Instead, he slumped in his seat, and exhaled heavily, relaxed and losing a lot of tension that Mai hadn't noticed before.

"Thank God she found them." He whispered, mostly to himself.

Mai exchanged a look with Naru, as confused as he was.

"Who's Panther?" Mai asked, a little hesitant.

Lin started slightly, as if he'd forgotten about them. His gaze flicked to them briefly, before turning back to the monitors, silently signalling that he didn't want to talk about it.

Naru, however, much to Mai's annoyance, didn't let the matter slide.

"Who is he?"

"She."

Lin corrected, eyes not moving from the screens on front of him.

Naru rolled his eyes.

"My apologies. Who is she, then?"

Lin sighed.

"An old friend, from China. She saved my life."

Naru looked like he was about to inquire more, but Mai caught his eyes, shaking her head. This was not the time and place to question Lin on his past; they had a case to finish.

Mai yawned, and both Naru and Lin caught the action.

"You,' Lin began, pointing at Mai,' will get some rest. And you,' he pointed at Naru,' will go back to sleep."

His tone dared them to answer back, and Mai found herself wondering, not for the first time, what Lin would be like as a dad. The case at John's church certainly showed a different side of him, although he did lose his patience in the end.

Naru saluted sarcastically behind Lin's back, and Mai muffled a giggle, before moving to claim the couch opposite Naru, grabbing her sleeping bag as she went. Naru ran a hand through his hair, before settling back down on the couch, taking deep breaths.

Mai felt a slight moment of shock when Naru fell asleep almost instantly, after about five minutes. She sighed and laid down, wriggling to get comfortable, before closing her eyes, and breathing deeply.

'_Goodnight, Naru.'_

She thought, the constant tapping of fingers on keys lulling her to sleep.

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p><strong><em>"<em>**_Koujo, wait up!"_

_The call came out of nowhere, and Mai jumped, looking around at her surroundings. _

_She was in a park; one that she frequented often. The leaves were starting to fall off the trees; the reds, golds and yellows turning the trees into fiery pyres._

_Mai looked down at herself, wondering if she'd somehow managed to get caught up in one of Frost's memories (it had happened once, and Mai had been a nervous wreck for weeks. She could never look at doctors the same way again)._

_Nope._

_She was small, around five or six; it was definitely her; she had the same light brown hair._

_She looked to her left, and, with a start of shock, found herself looking at a far younger Lin._

_He looked to be around seventeen, and was dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt, and a black hoodie, with worn running shoes. One of his hands was in his jacket pocket, while the other…_

_Mai looked at the left hand of her younger self, and found herself to be clutching Lin's hand rather tightly; as if she was afraid that she'd be lost._

_Mai winced at the sight; she'd never look at Lin the same way again._

_She turned to look at the caller, and was surprised to see a younger version of…Frost?_

_She was running towards them, long auburn hair flying in the slight breeze that had picked up. She was carrying a small, army green bag, which was stuffed with books, paper and pens._

_Frost caught up with them, panting slightly, with her cheeks flushed in the cold, and checked her bag, re-fastening it, before zipping up her dark blue jacket._

_"Aren't you cold, Koujo?"_

_Koujo shook his head, and gave Frost a light smile._

_"My hometown was far colder than this in the winter."_

_Frost rolled her eyes, and knelt next to younger Mai, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek._

_"Hey gorgeous, how are you?"_

_Younger-Mai beamed up at Frost, hair being tousled by the wind._

_"Good! I wanted to go to the park, so Koujo offered to take me."_

_Frost stood and raised an eyebrow at Lin._

_"She has you wrapped around her finger."_

_Lin raised an eyebrow back._

_"And you aren't?"_

_Frost laughed, and Mai noticed how her face lit up, and how people turned to look at the sound._

_Lin grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, wrapping her in a hug, and kissing her cheek, a loving expression in his eyes. _

_Mai blinked in shock._

'Lin expressing affection openly to someone? That's new.'

_Frost hugged him back, kissing him on the cheek as well._

_"How was the tutorial?"_

_Lin asked, after he and Frost had separated, and Younger-Mai was now holding Frost's hand._

_Frost shrugged._

_"Same old. I'd already completed the work that they were going to set, so I'm ahead for Biology. The teacher said that I could make the top three students this year!"_

_"That's great!" Lin smiled at Frost, and Mai almost fainted with shock._

_'_Lin…has a very nice smile. How come he doesn't smile like that anymore?'

_Frost shrugged._

_"It's okay, I suppose. What about you? How's your painting's coming along?"_

_"Fine. I almost finished the A3 one; just a few more details that I need to focus on."_

_Frost smiled wryly at Lin._

_"Was this the one that you stayed up till one o'clock in the morning to finish?"_

_"Ah…yeah."_

_Lin rubbed the back of his neck, and Frost laughed again, causing Younger-Mai to giggle at the chagrined expression on Lin's face._

_Mai frowned, tilting her head._

_''_Is this one of my memories?'

_"Shut it, Tori. You're not much better." Lin retorted, making a playful grab at Frost._

_"What was it again? No sleep in 32 hours, because she was studying?"_

_"Koujo!" Frost complained, dodging the attack, and swinging Younger-Mai up onto her back, when Younger-Mai begged for a piggyback ride._

_Lin grabbed Frost…Tori, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips._

_"I wouldn't have you any other way." He whispered, a hand lingering on her cheek. _

_Tori reached up, and clasped the hand with her own as they continued walking further into the park._

_Younger-Mai wriggled excitedly from her perch on Tori's back._

_"To the swings!" she declared, brandishing a rolled up piece of paper from Tori's bag like a sword._

_Lin grabbed her from Tori's back and placed her on his shoulders._

_"Onwards!" He commanded, breaking into a light jog, Tori following with an amused smile gracing her lips._

_Mai watched the happy scene, smiling even as it faded from her sight, and she was pulled into the deep black that was oblivion._

_._

_._

**Read and Review; no updates until I get at least 6 reviews.**

**So you'd better review!**

**Feed the box; it's starving.**


	11. A Fright to Remember

**Hey everyone! 11 reviews for my last chapter, it's great!**

**There will be some action in this part, so you have been warned. I do not own Ghost Hunt, only my OC's.**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

Ayako stood on the catwalk, looking down at the saw.

'_It's hard to see what all the fuss is about. There isn't anything down there.'_

"Anything?"

Monk asked, coming up to stand beside her. Ayako shook her head.

"Maybe it was a once off thing, or maybe some people are more receptive to demons than others."

Monk cautiously slid an arm around Ayako's waist, and Ayako froze for a moment, before relaxing, feeling slightly more secure on the catwalk.

"Gods, I hate heights." She muttered, leaning away from the edge. Monk laughed, and tugged her back towards base.

"We should probably report back to Naru, if he's awake yet."

Ayako frowned.

"He wasn't awake this morning?"

Monk shook his head.

"Neither was Mai. They both looked exhausted, so Lin told us to leave them. He said that Naru isn't the best to be around if he gets woken up."

Ayako sniggered.

"I can imagine that. What about Mai?"

"She was tossing a bit, but she normally does that on a case."

Ayako and Monk continued down the hallway to base, eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. They found nothing, and by the time they got to base, Naru was awake and dressed, and talking to Lin quietly.

Mai was also awake, and was going through some of the files that Yasu and Nollene had brought in, with Masako and John.

Naru turned to look at them as they walked in, his eyes flicking towards where Monks arm was around her waist, and then to the slight blush that graced Ayako's cheeks.

"Nothing to report; it's gone now. If it was there at all."

Monk muttered the last part, and Ayako hid a snicker. They both thought that John and Lin had imagined it, except for the fact that John looked like he was going to throw up, and Lin wasn't really one for lying.

'_But it was odd that only they saw it, and I didn't when I went to look. Maybe it's moved locations.'_

Ayako shook her head and pulled away from Monk, missing his warmth almost instantly.

'_It's really cold in here. Does no one believe in a heater?'_

Ayako looked at her watch as she sat down next to Mai, and picked up another file, scanning through the contents.

'_It's only 8:00 am on the second day, and already something has been seen.'_

Ayako yawned, covering her mouth, and noted down some key words that kept recurring throughout the file. John entered, and sat down at the table, muttering to himself.

"Eagla. Vrees, Angst. Wehi. Mataku. Paura. Peur. Miedo. Timor…"

"What _are _you saying?"

Naru turned to look at John, who had paused, and was writing the words down on a scrap piece of paper. John turned to look at Naru, forehead creased.

"It came to me, last night. He said…that his name was fear, but if I could guess the language that his name is in, then we might be able to get rid of it."

Naru slowly shook his head, eyes vacant.

"The only way to beat him, is to face your fears, and overcome them." He said softly, earning him a glance from Lin.

"Is that what Gene told you? Or are you making assumptions."

Naru glared at Lin.

"It was one time, and that was years ago. And yes, Gene did tell me this." He snapped.

Lin raised an eyebrow, and Naru deflated.

"Sorry, that was uncalled for." Naru apologized.

Ayako almost dropped the new file she'd just picked up; shocked at the apology that Naru just gave.

"Hold up. _Gene_ told you?" Monk asked, confused. Naru nodded.

"He said he had unfinished business, and was remaining behind. Stupid medium." He gritted out the last part, clenching his teeth in annoyance.

"The Japanese word for fear is _Kyofu._" Masako supplied, and John wrote it down, nodding his thanks.

"_Museoum."_

Everyone turned to Lin.

"What?" Mai asked, frowning.

"_Museoum_. It's the Korean word for fear. The Chinese word is _Kongju."_

No sooner than Lin had uttered the word aloud, and John had written it down, the temperature dropped to below freezing; ice forming instantly on the windows.

**"Well, Father Brown. It appears that you managed to summon me after all**."

A disembodied voice sounded, and everyone stood up, eyes fixed on the swirling mass that had appeared next to the monitors, causing Lin to grab a black backpack, and move away quickly.

"Are you sure it was a male?" Lin asked John, eyes narrowed.

"**Male!"** The voice sounded outraged, and the mass swirled thicker than before, before forming itself into a woman, with black hair and even blacker eyes.

"**I'm definitely not male!"**

As she spoke, it revealed pointed teeth, covered with…

Ayako turned away from the sight of the blood that coated her teeth. She immediately regretted it, as a cold hand caressed her cheek a moment later.

"**Do I frighten you, Ayako Matsuzaki?"**

Ayako flinched away from her touch, before facing the demoness.

"I'm not sure." She answered, the truth pulled from her lips, unbidden. The demoness smiled; a horrifying sight, before touching Ayako's forehead.

Ayako refrained from screaming, barely, as she suddenly felt dizzy, and as if she was very high up from the ground.

"So far." She whispered.

"**Ooh! A mild case of Acrophobia. A fear of heights! Truly, you would have very far to fall."**

Ayako paled, and almost fell, if Monk hadn't wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and pulled her closer to him, supporting most of her weight. Ayako relaxed against him, and the sense of dizziness vanished.

"I won't let you fall." Monk whispered in her ear, so that only she could hear.

The demoness snarled.

"**And you, Houshou Takigawa. What do ****_you_**** fear most?"**

Ayako stood up in shock as she felt millions of tiny legs crawling over her body. It felt like wind, but when she looked at Monk, he was deathly pale.

"**Even better! Arachnophobia; the fear of spiders! Can you feel them crawling over you, itching to sink their teeth into your flesh?"**

"It's not real, Monk. It's all in your head." Mai hissed. The demoness turned to her.

"**Is it, Mai Taniyama?"**

Mai paled, and looked around, eyes passing over everyone present.

"Please,' Mai cried, and the sound tore at Ayako's heart,' don't leave me! Where did you go?"

"**Ah, it's truly wonderful,' **The demoness sighed wistfully,' **Monophobia; the fear of being left alone. How even the most powerful minds can be broken by it."**

"You're a very sick demon." Naru hissed, levelling his trademark glare at the woman.

To her credit, she only looked mildly taken aback, and everyone watched in shock as Naru stepped towards Mai.

"Mai." He said softly, a hand cautiously reaching out towards her,' you're not alone."

Mai froze, before her eyes cleared.

"Naru?"

"**Ah, dear 'Naru'. But do they know your deepest and darkest fear? A recently discovered one, I might add. Behold!"**

She touched Naru, and his hands immediately went to his throat, as his shoulders caved inwards. His breathing became heavier, and more erratic.

"**You do not wish to meet the same fate as your dear twin brother, Eugene. So, now you fear the water, or as it more commonly known; Aquaphobia! And you, medium,'** she turned to Masako.

"**A most interesting one, brought on by your father. Atelophobia. The question is, are you ever going to be good enough?"**

Masako dropped to her knees, and tears trickled down her face. The demoness turned to John.

"**And I, priest-ling, am your worst nightmare! Demonophobia isn't very useful in your family."**

John paled as the demoness spread enormous black wings, and fangs protruded from her mouth.

She turned to Lin, and her focus dropped away from everyone, her gaze firmly fixed with his. Ayako unwillingly found herself leaning forward.

'_What kind of fears does Lin have? We rarely see any emotion from him.'_

"**But you…' **the demoness trailed off, eyes wide with astonishment,'** you have so many fears, yet you battle on, every day. From your deep-set Claustrophobia, to your Trypanophobia from your younger days. How to…"**

She suddenly gave a wicked grin, and Ayako paled at the expression on her face, suddenly filled with worry for Lin.

"**Your deepest fear, is Veritaphobia; the fear of the truth being told, about what you are. And by revealing this, you experience all of your worst fears."**

Lin, to his credit, didn't look fazed.

"So what if it is my deepest fear? I came to terms with it a long time ago."

Everyone watched the silent showdown between Lin and the demoness.

The demoness floated closer, and caressed his cheek, as if he was a lover. Lin jerked away from her touch, and the demoness laughed; a hollow, haunting sound.

"**Yes, but have ****_they_**** come to terms with who you are?"**

She gestured to SPR, and Lin visibly paled, his hands clenched into fists. The demoness pounced on this, and grinned gleefully.

"**You haven't told them! Perfect, now they can find out…not the way you wanted!"**

"_Bu!"_

The shout came from Lin, and Ayako blacked out, dragged into a dreamscape that most definitely wasn't her own.

.

.

**Because you all gave me such amazing reviews, I'll leave you on a cliff-hanger, because I'm amazing like that.**

**PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!**

**Standard 6 reviews before next update!**

**So feed the box.**

**.**

**Trypanophobia- **Fear of needles and injections

**Demonophobia- **Fear of Demons

**Aquaphobia-** Fear of Water

**Atelophobia-** Fear of Failure, or not being good enough

**Claustrophobia-** Fear of tight, enclosed spaces

**Veritaphobia-** Fear of the truth being told, things being revealed

**Arachnophobia-** Fear of Spiders

**Monophobia-** Fear of being Alone

**Acrophobia-** Fear of Heights.

** .**

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.


	12. The Trouble With Koujo- Part 1

**So, I'm back with a brand new chapter, obviously the six reviews came about, so you all get a nice update.**

**This chapter is the back story that I made up for Lin, so…you have been warned. Don't like it? Don't read it.**

**I don't own Ghost Hunt, but I own my OC's. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

* * *

><p>It was an odd place, Lin's mind.<p>

It was empty, but at the same time felt cluttered; as if all his knowledge was hidden.

Oliver looked around, impressed by the organization of it all. It rivalled his iron control over his mind.

The Demoness appeared in front of them, smiling gruesomely, enjoying the suspense and horror she was about to cause.

"Are you ready?" She asked, twirling around. "Are you ready to see what kind of monster you work with?"

Oliver looked around, and found everyone, including Yasu and Nollene, standing around, looking about in apprehension. Mai grabbed his hand.

"Are YOU ready?" Lin's voice echoed around them, and he appeared in front of them, shining with a golden light. His glare caught the Demoness, and trapped her.

"Are you ready, _Kongju_, to see what kind of monster I am?"

The dreamscape twisted and warped, and Oliver had the sensation of feeling weightless, before he dropped.

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><p><em>.<em>

_._

* * *

><p><em>The first place was a village; a small collection of mud huts with thatched roofs, gathered around a well.<em>

_Suddenly, a small, dark haired boy ran through the middle, being chased by a taller girl, also with black hair._

_"Koujo, you little rat! Get back here!" the girl shouted, chasing after the boy, who held an injured crane fledgling in his arms._

_The boy stopped at the edge of the well, and the girl caught up to him, panting._

_"Koujo, you need to get back to the house. Dad's going nuts after you missed lunch."_

_Koujo shook his head._

_"I don't want to go back. Dad hit me again last night, when you were with Lihua. He called me a disgrace, and a freak."_

_The girl gritted her teeth._

_"Asshole. Look, you need to come back, or he'll only get worse. Please, Koujo." She begged, grabbing Koujo's hands._

_Koujo pulled away._

_"No!"_

_The girl sighed, and looked at him._

_"For me? For Mum?"_

_Koujo wavered, and then deflated._

_"Fine, but only because you asked me to, Mei."_

_Mei smiled._

_"We should get…"_

_She was interrupted by an explosion, which ripped apart the house right next to where they were standing. The force of the blast knocked them off their feet, and Koujo let go of the crane, which flew away with a cry._

_Koujo scrambled over to where Mei was._

_"Mei?"_

_Mei coughed, and grabbed her younger brother's hand._

_"BACK TO THE HOUSE!" She yelled, dragging him to his feet, and sprinting back the way they came._

_Another house exploded, and Mei barely kept on her feet, while Koujo stumbled, but kept moving. They ran to the outskirts of the village, and burst into a hut._

_"Mum!"_

_A beautiful woman, who was tall and slender, much like Lin, stood by the window, looking out._

_"Mei, Koujo, where have you been? Your father…"_

_Another explosion rocked the ground, and the woman fell to her knees, shaking her head._

_"The earth is not happy." She muttered, her hands spread across the compacted dirt floor. The door burst open, and a young man stood there, with dark purple eyes and silver blonde hair._

_"Mistress Fang, Master had been cut down by the last of Mao's supporters. They are coming towards the village."_

_Mistress Fang paled, before standing up and grabbing a long staff with a curved blade on the end. The man ran on, warning the other villagers of the impending doom, while others came out, armed with various weaponry._

_Fang knelt next to the two terrified children._

_"Mei, I want you to take you brother, and head to Ai's. Can you do that?"_

_"But, Mum, we…"_

_"DO AS I SAY!" The woman snapped, before sighing heavily._

_"They won't stop because you are children. They will kill everyone in this village."_

_She handed each child a small dagger, with a dragon carved into the hilt._

_"No heroics; only use these if you have to. Go to Ai's, you'll be safe there. GO!" _

_Sobbing, Mei pulled Koujo out of the house, and into the path of a man dressed in army fatigues, brandishing a sword. He advanced on Mei and Koujo…before his head separated from his shoulders, and a spray of blood shot upwards._

_Fang stood there, blood on the end of her staff._

_"Go now!"_

_Koujo pulled at Mei's hand, while Mei seemed transfixed by the dead body. It took all of Koujo's five-year old strength to pull at Mei to get her to move. They sprinted over to the other side of the village and beyond, listening to the screams of the dying._

_An earthquake suddenly rolled across the land, and Koujo turned back, to find his mother in the epicentre, cutting down soldiers, while her brother, Taro, shot arrows into the men around her._

_"Mum!" Koujo screamed, just as a soldier lunged forward and stabbed her through the chest, ending her life instantly._

_"Koujo, come on! We need to get to Ai's!" Mei pulled her younger brother into the woods that bordered the village, and the village was lost to sight._

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><p><em>.<em>

* * *

><p><em>They had been running for days, with no sign of their aunt's house. The forest was thick and dense, and was hard to go through. However, the two smaller children slipped between the gaps of the trees, and steadily made their way towards the base of the mountains.<em>

_They finally broke into a clearing, in which a small hut stood, surrounded by flowers and bamboo._

_A young woman, a teenager, sat on the grass, singing softly, braiding her long red hair on her left side._

_"Aunt Ai!" Mei called, rushing towards the teenager._

_"Mei? Koujo? What happened?"_

_Mei started to sob, and Koujo swallowed._

_"Our village was attacked. Mum is…dead."_

_Koujo was surprised at the numbness he felt. He wanted to cry, but he simply had no tears._

_Ai froze, before wrapping Mei into a hug, pulling Koujo in as well._

_"I'm so sorry." Ai whispered, tears trickling down her face._

_"I'm so sorry."_

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

* * *

><p><em>"Over time, secrets of elementals were lost, and now there are only a few of us left. The most common ones are Earth elementals, like myself. The next ones are water elementals, which is what you are, Mei. Then fire, and then air."<em>

_Mei nodded seriously, while Koujo sat up in a tree, swinging from a branch._

_"Is that why we all have different coloured eyes?"_

_Ai nodded, grinning._

_"You see, when our first ancestor was a boy, he rescued a dragon from a hunters trap. Grateful, the dragon rewarded our ancestor with control over the elements, and the ability to capture demons, and force them to work for him. When this gift was bestowed upon him, one of his eyes changed colour, to reflect the element that he had control over. Because it was all four, his eye was four colours."_

_Mei bounced excitedly._

_"Green for Earth, Blue for Water, Yellow for fire, and White for Air." _

_Ai nodded, impressed._

_"You have been paying attention, unlike your brother."_

_Koujo jumped down from the tree, scowling._

_"I am so paying attention."_

_Ai laughed, and ruffled his hair affectionately. _

_"I never doubted you. Now, when you…"_

_An arrow shot through the air, and embedded itself into Ai's leg. Ai shrieked, and pushed Mei and Koujo behind her._

_"Run!"_

_Mei froze, and Koujo paled. Ai grabbed them both by their shoulders._

_"Go further into the mountains. Follow the goat tracks, until you reach your grandfathers. Do you understand me?"_

_Mei nodded, and Ai swept her into a hug._

_"Remember what I told you, Mei. Your grandfather will instruct you further."_

_She pushed Mei away, and Mei dragged Koujo into the forest, stopping when they were sure that they couldn't be seen. Men that had attacked the village entered the clearing, leering at Ai, who was slowly and painfully removing the arrow._

_"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." A man stepped for, eyes raking Ai. Ai smirked at him._

_"I'll tell you what we have here,' she snarked,' trespassers, on private property. Do you have a warrant?"_

_The soldier paused, before bluffing._

_"Of course."_

_"Can I see it?" Ai smiled at him, all teeth and warning. Another man stepped forward._

_"We need no warrant to kill one of your kind,_ Wupo."_ He hissed, drawing his sword._

_Ai crossed her legs, and took a deep breath, placing her hands on the ground, even as the man stepped forward._

_Ai shook her head._

_"I die on my own terms." Ai whispered, and the earth rose up to cover her, forming a shield to cover her body, before hardening into stone. _

_Mei gasped, and placed a hand over Koujo's mouth to stop him from crying out._

_"Lets' go." Mei whispered, dragging her brother further into the forest, leaving behind the stone statue of their aunt._

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

* * *

><p><em>"Pay attention, boy!"<em>

_Koujo snapped his head up from where it had started to lean on his chest. The seven-year-old immediately straightened his spine, and sat up, eyeing his grandfather with barely concealed exhaustion._

_Feng Lin levelled a glare at Koujo, his yellow and brown eyes unsettling Koujo._

_"What's the matter?" Feng snapped._

_"I'm tired, sir." Koujo muttered._

_"Tired!" Feng shook his head._

_"It is through exhaustion that we persevere. We become better men than others, because we know how to stay strong, even on our last legs. The Lin family has long since been viewed as one of the most dangerous clans in all of China. We have a reputation to uphold. Keep that spine straight!"_

_Koujo straightened his spine as he began to slouch, wishing that his back would stop aching from sitting in the same position for so long, and from the _spectacular_ beating he'd gotten that morning from his grandfather when he was learning kung fu._

_"Deepen your breathing."_

_Koujo immediately took several deep breaths._

_"Use your diaphragm, not your lungs boy!"_

_Koujo quickly rectified his mistake._

_"Straighten your spine, boy, don't slouch. Start to relax your muscles, staring with your toes."_

_Koujo did so, as an unusual feeling of lightness stole over him._

_"Make your way slowly up to your arms."_

_Koujo did so, but paused when his grandfather snapped at him._

_"I said slowly, boy! Pay attention! Relax your fingertips, and then start on your neck."_

_Koujo did so, and his mind wandered to the ever-present pain in his back._

_"Focus boy! Pay attention to what you're doing! __Once you have finished with your neck, image your mind is a lake. Right now it is stirred. Make it smooth. Control your thoughts."_

_Koujo pictured the lake that they'd passed on the way up to the monastery a year ago; big, deep and surrounded by mountains, and his mind became clear, and silent; devoid of all the cluttering thoughts that had plagued him since he'd left his village._

_"__Relax, and open your eyes to your surroundings. Be at peace."_

_Koujo did so, and relaxed his spine slightly, so that it was no longer_

_"__Well done Koujo, you have learned fast. Remember this. No matter how far you travel, we will always be with you. You carry the hopes of us all."_

_Koujo looked up at his grandfather, who wore a slight smile on his face._

_"__Thank you, sir."_

_._

_His grandfather died a week later, of old age._

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><p><em>.<em>

* * *

><p><em>Koujo surveyed the bustling streets of the docks from a tall building, Mei crouching next to him. His hair blew in his face, and he swiped at it angrily, wishing he had something to tie it with.<em>

_Mei suddenly hissed, and pointed towards a huge ship that had men dressed in some form of uniform on it._

_"__That's our ride."_

_Koujo looked at it closely, noting the flag from England on it._

_"__You want us, who don't speak any English, to go on a ship that will stop in England?"_

_Mei nodded, eyes alight._

_"__It's practically on the other side of the world; I don't think that they will kill spiritualists there."_

_"__You don't think?" Koujo muttered, eyeing the ship with something close to anxiousness. Mei sighed._

_"__Grandfather wanted us to leave China, so we wouldn't be hunted anymore. To go to a place where our gifts could grow."_

_Koujo sighed, and leaned against the side of the roof._

_"__There are plenty of other countries that are closer."_

_Mei pouted._

_"__Where's your sense of adventure?"_

_Koujo sighed again, heavily._

_"__Sometimes I wonder if they got our birth dates mixed up, and I'm actually the older one." He drawled, raising an eyebrow at Mei. Mei glared._

_"__You're too young to be cynical and sarcastic, Koujo. Let's move, so we can stowaway tonight. Maybe offer to work in the kitchens."_

_Koujo shrugged, and started to climb down the bamboo scaffolding that hugged the building, cursing when his hands got caught on splinters, Mei following close behind. Koujo dropped to the ground, and surveyed the alley that they landed in._

_There was a sudden shriek, and Mei fell from the scaffolding, followed by bits of broken bamboo. She landed on her left ankle, and with a sickening 'pop', it dislocated. Mei held back another shriek, and footsteps sounded in the alley._

_Koujo crouched down in the alley next to Mei, and poked at her ankle. Mei hissed._

_"__It's not bad."_

_Koujo nodded, and froze when voices sounded._

_"__I'm telling you, there were two kids here. We need some fresh blood in the ring; the others are becoming predictable."_

_Koujo gestured for Mei to hide behind the giant rubbish bins that spanned the alley way, and no sooner had she dragged herself behind one, five grown men walked into sight, and immediately spotted Koujo by the bins._

_"__Take him." One ordered, and Two, Three and Four rushed forward, trying to grab him._

_If Koujo had been smarter, he would have dodged, and run. But he thought that they knew that Mei was there, so he stood and defended the bin._

_Two lunged for him, and Koujo jabbed his fingers up, poking him in the eyes, before his second hand connected with his throat with a morbid 'crack'._

_Two dropped, gasping for air, while Three approached, trying to grab Koujo from the side._

_Koujo pivoted on his left foot, and swung his right leg, so that it connected with the back of Three's legs, before his palm met Three's nose; driving it backwards into his skull, and killing him instantly._

_As soon as three hit the ground, Koujo froze, staring uncomprehendingly at the dead body._

_'__IjustkilledsomeoneohmyGodsIjustkilledsomeoneI'mnobetterthanthesoldiersthatkilledAiandMum.'_

_Four grabbed him, and Five came up next to him, holding a small bottle with a needle poking out. One was laughing._

_"__We got ourselves a Wildcat here. Jab him, and take him to the ring. I'm tired."_

_Koujo struggled, but Four had his hands locked around Koujo's upper arms. Five jabbed the needle into the side of Koujo's neck, and put his face in front of Koujo's, giving Koujo a view of rotten teeth and a broken nose._

_"__Welcome to the underground rings, brat."_

_Fire raced through his veins, before Koujo blacked out._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_**This is going to be split into two chapters, because otherwise it would be too long.**_

_**Review anyway XD**_


	13. The Trouble With Koujo- Part 2

**I feel really bad for cutting it off, but it had already taken up seven pages in Word, so I decided to cut it in half. This is part 2, so enjoy, because I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p><em>Fire burned, metal froze.<em>

_Earth bit, water slapped, and wood broke._

_._

* * *

><p><em>Everything was hazy, and had somehow doubled within five minutes of being strapped to the table. Tubes were being pushed into his arm, and liquids were either injected, or poured down his throat, scalding his throat, and burning all the way down to his stomach.<em>

_And then it entered the bloodstream._

_Koujo screamed, he screamed until his voice broke and his vocal chords snapped, wanting the pain to end._

_Voices flitted through the pain and embedded themselves into his consciousness._

_"His resistance to the poisons is most promising."_

_"We upped each dose every time, and his body still fights it. It's amazing that he's still conscious."_

_"Increase the concentration. He will be our new champion in the men's ring."_

_"But sir, isn't he a bit young?"_

_"No such thing as too young, Doctor. Jab him."_

_The needles kept coming, bringing the fire with it._

_More burning; more flames eating away at his soul and mind._

_The days blurred together, and Koujo lost track of the amount of times he passed out from sheer exhaustion, until, finally, the needles stopped coming._

_"Sir."_

_"Doctor. Is it finished?"_

_"Yes, sir. No poison, or painkillers, will work for him now. His pain tolerance is unusually high, but that is a good thing. He's going to need it to be, if you plan on going ahead with placing him in the men's ring._

_"I do. But first, we should give him a pack to run with, hmm?"_

_"Panther's group just lost one of theirs. He could do well in there; he'll either die, or grow."_

_"Panther's it is then."_

_Koujo was unbelted from the table, and led through a dizzying array of tunnels; each more broken than the last, before he came to a wide area, where several people were either lifting weights, sparring with sticks, hands and feet, or meditating._

_One of the men whistled._

_"Mutts! Get over here!"_

_They all crowded around the two men and Koujo, eyeing Koujo with open hostility._

_"Who's the kid?"_

_One of the men smiled slyly._

_"I'll leave that up to you. Don't break him."_

_Then they left, leaving Koujo standing there dazedly, trying to make sense of the muddle of shapes and colours that surrounded him. Everything was spinning, and the voices sounded like hisses and clicks. A voice eventually broke through._

_"How long were you strapped to the table?"_

_It was a commanding voice; one that expected answers, so Koujo complied._

_"I…don't know." His voice was hoarse from screaming, and it hurt to talk._

_His vision swam slightly into focus, and he found himself facing a girl with black hair, black skin and even blacker eyes. His mind couldn't really get over the skin though._

_The girl sighed._

_"Back to training, all of you. The next fight is in two weeks, and I refuse to lose another to Centipede's scum."_

_Koujo blinked, and the girl took his arm as the others scattered._

_"Come on, cub. We should get you cleaned up, and…" she looked at his clothes._

_Definitely some new clothes. You can't train in those." _

_Koujo followed the girl, unsure of what she wanted._

_She stopped at a set of shelves, and handed him some black clothes._

_"Change into these, and,' she handed him a bottle of water,' drink this. It'll clear up your mind, and get rid of any lingering traces of the drug."_

_Koujo did so, his mind still a bit foggy._

_The girl looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on his legs, arms and torso._

_"Have you been taught how to fight?"_

_Koujo nodded, his throat aching._

_The girl grinned at him, her teeth a startling white against her skin._

_"Good. It means you'll actually stand a chance in two weeks. For now, I'm going to be teaching you all the dirty little tricks that I've learned in the past nine years." She leaned in close._

_"We don't fight honourably here. If you do, you'll be dead before you can say your own name. We fight to live, survive and to win. No honour among scum."_

_Koujo frowned, but nodded._

_"Understood." He rasped. The girl nodded._

_"Good. My name is Panther, and you will address me as such during fights, and other competitions. When we train, or have a little…fun, you may address me as Pan."_

_Koujo nodded, and Panther looked at him._

_"Do you have a name? We tend to choose animals, because there's no way in Hell that we would use our first names. It would give the enemy advantage over us. So pick one."_

_Koujo thought back to the day when he'd been captured, when the men had called him something. He turned to Panther, his mind made up._

_"Wildcat."_

_. _

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><p><em>His first fight is two weeks later.<em>

_His opponent is a fully grown man, twice his size._

_Koujo killed him, by kicking his neck, and crushing his windpipe._

_._

_His second fight is a month after that._

_His opponent is another man, but faster, and more cunning._

_Koujo kills his opponent by using the knife that his mother gave him; he stabbed the man in the stomach, watching him bleed to death._

_He feels numb._

_. _

_His next three fights are easy; teenagers barely older than him. _

_They die quickly and painfully._

_Spectators start to call him Death._

_._

_Koujo didn't feel anything as he faced his next opponent; only the sure knowledge that he was going to win._

_Again._

_This time it was a man, who looked like a tank that the army sometimes drove by. To be caught in those hands would certainly mean death._

_The man dies slowly; bleeding out after Koujo slit his wrists, and the femoral artery located in the thigh._

_Koujo doesn't recall ever feeling guilty, only sick pleasure at surviving another fight, and watching the blood stain the floor red._

_._

* * *

><p><em>Koujo lay in his cell, staring at the ceiling.<em>

_Another successful fight; the twentieth he'd won so far._

_Each kill was easier to make, and the regret that came with ending someone's life faded each time._

_His new pack; Panther, Eagle, Hawk, Rat, Roach and Wolf, had all won their fights, and were now top of their own separate divisions._

_The nine-year-old fingered the dragon carving on his knife, remembering the day that his mother had given it to him, and the resulting madness that followed. He remembered his sister, Mei, and had hoped that she'd made it to England._

_A shadow appeared on the wall next to his 'nest', and he quietly drew the dagger from its sheath._

_Centipede, the leader of the rival pack, had lost ten members to Koujo alone; not to mention Panther and Eagle made a habit of killing any who strayed too far from their own den._

_"__**There's no need for that, young master."**_

_Koujo spun around, and levelled his dagger at the intruder._

_He was tall, had silver-blonde hair, like Hawk, and had deep purple eyes, with cat-like pupils. Koujo growled at him._

_"Who are you?"_

_The man bowed._

**_"My name is Tatsuo, and I am a dragon-demon, who has served your family for many generations. I am here to offer you training. If you accept, you will live. If you do not, then you will lose your next fight, and die horribly._**_"_

_Koujo rolled his eyes._

_"Demons don't exist."_

_Tatsuo raised an eyebrow._

_"__**Neither do elementals, such as the Lin Clan. Of which, only you, your brother and your sister remain**__."_

_Koujo glared._

_"Alright, you have my attention. What do you want in return? My soul? You can have it; it's already broken beyond repair."_

_Tatsuo shook his head, smiling softly._

_"__**You soul may be tarnished, but your spirit is not. All I want in return, is a place at your side, where others cannot reach me, and use me for their own evil deeds**__."_

_Koujo considered this._

_"How do I know that you won't kill me?"_

_Tatsuo smiled again, this one more feral._

**_"You don't. One should never trust a dragon, or a demon. However_**_,' Tatsuo looked over Koujo, frowning,' __**I have followed you halfway across Hong Kong, and could have killed you thousands of times, but chose not to. But you must earn my trust**__."_

_Koujo nodded slowly, deciding to take the risk. He was going to die eventually, right?_

_"I accept."_

_Tatsuo sighed, and he seemed to glow slightly, before returning to normal._

_"__**Alright. Now, listen closely, and listen well, because I will not often repeat myself. This next fight, the man is a demon in disguise. The knife you use will kill him, and this is how you will do it…"**_

**_._**

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><p><em>The demon died slowly, in agony, as it was eviscerated and then left to die, without the mercy of a killing stroke.<em>

_Koujo looked into the dying eyes of the demon, and smiled through the blood that coated his face._

_'_This is going to be fun.'

_._

* * *

><p><em>His pack escapes a few months later, after Panther discovered that she and Eagle were going to be sold to a client, as slaves.<em>

_They climb out of the tunnels, and swim through the murky waters of the sea that lay just underneath, jumping onto a ship._

_They land in Japan, and are immediately picked up by the Japanese underground, who make a killing from the talents of their latest recruits._

_Literally._

_._

* * *

><p><em>Koujo kept his name, and barely used his old one anymore. The Japanese couldn't pronounce it anyway. He learnt Japanese; insulting his opponents in Chinese wasn't nearly as fun, because they couldn't understand him.<em>

_His fights were all far too easy, but his pack made it clear that they wouldn't fight each other. They learnt the streets and the alleys, and the rooftops._

_They travelled to Tokyo, to fight in the rings there, where there was more competition. _

_He started to take jobs; killing people outside of the rings, often travelling with Panther, or any of the others. He was paid well for these assassinations. _

_It wasn't long before they were noticed._

_._

* * *

><p><em>He was 11 when the police raided the ring where they were staying.<em>

_It was a blur of men with riot gear, guns and darts._

_Koujo could remember fighting the police, trying to get away, but something hit the back of his neck, and he collapsed._

_He came to in a cell._

_._

_"Subject 89304 refused to show us his right eye; we believe that there is a deformity. He fought like a monster to escape, and took down three of my Special Ops guys like they were toddlers. He's dangerous; the only thing that would do him good is to be put down."_

_Koujo's ears honed in on the conversation that floated down the corridor. It was him they were talking about, and one of them was the leader that took him out._

_"But yet, he's still alive. That shows remarkable resilience and spirit." The second voice was a man's; softly spoken, but not lacking iron._

_"It's not resilience; his body won't react to any poison we've given him. We've tried six times, and nothing has happened."_

_There was silence, and footsteps stopped right outside of Koujo's cell, where he was meditating._

_"I would like to speak to him."_

_There was snort, and Koujo's fingers twitched slightly, wanting to be around the leader's neck. His own neck ached and stung where he'd been hit two days ago._

_"It's no use, Taniyama. He won't talk to anyone. I don't think he even speaks Japanese."_

_"Never the less, I would like to speak to him, Himura-san. Perhaps you've simply been asking the wrong questions."_

_"Are you doubting my interrogation techniques!" Himura yelled._

_There was a soft sigh._

_"No. You don't have to take offense at everything, you know. I'm simply stating, that he probably won't answer your questions about the whereabouts of the others that escaped, because even though he is…scum, as you put it, they all have a deep sense of loyalty to each other."_

_"And you're speaking from experience, right Taniyama? We all know about _your_ origins."_

_There was a silence, before Taniyama spoke, his voice icy._

_"You would do well to remember, Himura-san, that all though I may be a psychologist now, I still know how to kill a man. If you speak of this to anyone outside of this conversation, then you _will _be dead within the week."_

_"Are you threatening me?" Himura hissed._

_"Yes. How does it feel?" Taniyama asked, fake professionalism dripping from his voice._

_There was a growl, before the door opened, and light footsteps sounded across the floor, before the brush of fabric indicated that Taniyama had sat down across from him._

_Koujo opened his left eye, and stared at the man unblinkingly._

_Grey met dark green, and Koujo studied the man in front of him._

_He sat in the same position as Koujo, so he obviously had some form of training. His hair was a light shade of brown, and he had an open, friendly face. His eyes, however, were cold, and calculating, and assessed Koujo from where he sat._

_"It takes a lot of training to take down three men."_

_Taniyama started, never breaking eye contact._

_"Who trained you?"_

_Koujo thought carefully. If he answered this question, he would be giving away information, and more questions would be asked. However, this man had said that he still knew how to kill a man, so maybe he understood the code that all fighters had._

_"My grandfather." Koujo answered carefully, watching the man for any signs of triumph. There wasn't any, or he hid his emotions well._

_"How old are you?"_

_Koujo narrowed his eyes._

_'What's it to you?"_

_The man sighed._

_"Damn. I shouldn't have asked that question first up. It's important, because otherwise, you're going to die. If you're underage, then you can get a second chance at life."_

_Koujo frowned, and debated not answering his question._

_"__**Trust him, Master,'**_ _Tatsuo advised,' __**He doesn't want to deceive you."**_

_"Why should I trust you?" Koujo asked the man, eyes flicking around the room to the camera's hidden there. The man rolled his sleeve up, to reveal a symbol on his arm._

_It was the Japanese character for shadow; one that had adorned some of the fighters that Koujo had fought._

_"Because we are not so different, you and I. Both fought, both captured,' Taniyama raised an eyebrow,' both were offered a second chance."_

_"If I took the chance offered, where would I go?"_

_Taniyama took a deep breath._

_"I can offer you a place to stay. However, you must answer my questions truthfully."_

_Koujo nodded, vowing to start again, and the man smiled slightly._

_"What's your name."_

_"Koujo. Koujo Lin."_

_"Where are you from?"_

_"Hong Kong?"_

_"How did you come to Japan?"_

_"I stowed away on a boat."_

_"How old are you?"_

_"Eleven."_

_Taniyama froze, his fingers tapping his leg._

_"Where are your parents?"_

_"Dead."_

_Taniyama nodded, eyes drifting away from their conversation._

_"Tell me, Koujo. Do you have any…gifts…that are considered odd? Have you ever seen something before it happened, or had a bad feeling perhaps?"_

_Koujo narrowed his eyes._

_"Are you asking if I'm a spiritualist or not?"_

_Taniyama nodded, his gaze thoughtful._

_"Yes. It would make my job a bit easier."_

_Koujo shook his head._

_"My family were elementals, not seers. We were also trained as an Onmyouji, or a sorcerer, that dealt with demons and spirits."_

_Taniyama nodded, and pulled out a phone._

_"A moment."_

_He dialled a number, and started talking to someone on the phone, too quietly for Koujo to hear. It was a quick, intense discussion, before hanging up._

_"Good news! You can get out of here, and stay with me, instead of getting friendly with the spiders in your cell. We can sort out some other things later."_

_Taniyama led Koujo out of the cell, and into the corridor, while Koujo eyed the cells, looking for any of his pack. He found none, so he relaxed slightly, trusting Taniyama to lead him out. Taniyama stopped just ahead, and muttered something to the guard, who stepped aside and let them pass._

_"I will warn you now, Koujo, that I am married,' Taniyama stated, looking over his shoulder,' and she will through a fit when she sees the state you're in. Expect to be thrown in a bath, and to have your hair cut."_

_Koujo blinked, suddenly conscious of his hair, which now reached his waist, and was braided to stay out of his face._

_"Okay?"_

_Taniyama smiled, and led Koujo over to a car, gesturing for him to get into the passenger seat._

_"I also have two daughters, and they will ask you endless questions."_

_Koujo nodded again, starting to regret his choice slightly._

_"__**Fear not Master. He means you no ill will. And he will be able to teach you different types of methods of dealing with demons and spirits."**_

_Assured, Koujo relaxed slightly, fingering the blade that he'd managed to hide on his leg; his knife with the dragon carving._

_._

* * *

><p><em>Taniyama's wife was called Jia, and she did indeed throw him in the bath, and give him some new clothes and a haircut.<em>

_His two daughters were called Mai and Maya, and they were twins. Maya had a very quiet voice, and was very shy of everyone, while Mai unashamedly asked incessant questions. _

_Jia worked in the Forensics department of the police, while Mamoru, which was Taniyama's first name, worked as a psychologist._

_._

_Mamoru picked up four more kids off the street that year; a pair of Chinese Korean twins, called Tori and Tajo Li, and Japanese sisters called Amaya and Madoka Mori._

_Jia welcomed them in, and the large house that they lived in got a bit fuller._

_._

* * *

><p><em>Mamoru was murdered when Koujo was 13; the assassin that killed him didn't have time to take a breath and smile at his kill, as Koujo severed his spinal cord; the way that Mamoru had showed him.<em>

_He held Maya, and Mai was held by Tori, as they sobbed, when their father's coffin was lowered into the ground._

_._

* * *

><p><em>Koujo caught up with Panther and the others when he was 15, when he sat on the rooftop, staring at the stars.<em>

_They asked him to join their pack again; to become an assassin._

_When he explained what he now had to do, which was take care of Jia and the others, Panther gave him their numbers, and promised to keep other assassin's away from the house._

_._

_When he was 17, his best friends Lucy and Rosaline- exchange students from America and England- committed suicide._

_Their funeral was one of the worst things he had to attend, next to Mamoru's funeral._

_._

* * *

><p><em>When he was 19, he was accepted into Cambridge university, in England.<em>

_He went over there, and met Luella and Martin Davis, as well as their sons, Oliver and Eugene. Mei was there also, and there was a tearful reunion between the brother and sister._

_._

_He went back to Japan for summer break, and caught up with everyone._

_A demon broke into the house, and killed Amaya and mortally wounded Jia. Jia died in Koujo's arms as he tried to stop the bleeding, asking them all to watch over Mai and Maya._

_._

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><p><em>He was twenty when his girlfriend of four years, Tori Li, was murdered by a demon when she was walking back to the medical school she attended, after visiting a patient.<em>

_She was buried next to Rosaline, Lucy, Mamoru, and Jia._

_It was the first time Koujo had cried in over ten years._

_._

_When he was 23, he met Mai again, for the first time in three years._

_He was in Japan, looking for the body of Eugene, with Oliver, and she'd pushed a bookshelf over, which landed on top of him, and sprained his leg._

_He returned to live with Hana and Ruka; two exchange students that had kept the boarding house open._

_Mai hadn't remembered him, but Maya had; the spell that was placed on them was still strong, although Maya had broken it quicker._

_._

_When he was 25, he returned to Japan for good, although it still held a lot of painful memories._

_Mai still hadn't remembered, but perhaps that was for the best._

_If she did remember, then she would have to live her mother's death over and over again._

_And that was something Koujo didn't want to have to live with._

_._

* * *

><p>Mai opened her eyes, and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the images.<p>

'_To kill people that young…'_

Mai looked over at Lin, along with everyone else. Lin was kneeling, and the demon stood over him, smiling.

"**You are a monster, Koujo Lin. You hid behind others to save your skin, and now look. No one to hide behind; no one to save you now."**

Lin lifted his head up, and a solitary tear trickled down his face, even as he glared at the demon. He stood, and the air grew thick, and a wind flew around the room, swirling around Lin protectively, while a light seemed to pour from his right eye.

When he spoke, his voice was icy, and made Mai shiver.

"Am I hiding now, demoness?"

The demoness faltered, and lifted her hand to kill him, but Lin was quicker, and said something that made Mai's stomach drop.

"_Feed on her flesh."_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

**Wow, that was even longer. Oh well. Don't forget, 6 reviews before I update!**

**So review, and feed the starving author.**


	14. Dr Davis and Mr Lied

**Ahhh… BRING ON THE LONG REVIEWS BABY! Thank you to all the guests who reviewed, and the regular reviewers; you all made my day! Although I seem to have created even more questions than before, so I'll try to answer them in this chapter.**

**I don't own Ghost Hunt; that's why it's called FANFICTION!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Yasu had never felt as disorientated as he did when he woke up from the whole "<em>Memory sharing thing."<em>

Then Lin went all freaky with his glowing eye, and the wind, and then the command,

"_Feed on her flesh."_

50 points for scariness, 20 for the eye, and a level-up for the wind.

Not to mention that little tear that made its way down Lin's cheek, without him noticing.

But, the scariest thing Yasu had seen was Lin's shiki _tearing_ through the demoness, while holes appeared on her body where they had gone through, and black blood dripped down onto the floor.

They _shredded_ her into ribbons, all the while Lin looked on.

Monk, Ayako, Mai, Masako, Nollene and even Naru looked away, but Yasu and, to his surprise, John, looked on.

Yasu was thinking about what kind of computer-simulation would be able to recreate the effect that the shiki made, and whether he could invent some game that would use it.

He had no idea what John was thinking, only that he watched the demoness die with morbid fascination, and his eyes never stopped moving around the room.

It really confused Yasu, because John, being a priest and all, shouldn't really like death and destruction.

With a final, ear-shattering shriek, the demoness vanished, along with the blood that had poured from its wounds. Yasu looked around the base.

Some of the windows had been smashed, and files had flown everywhere from the wind, and there was some leftover blood on the monitors. He whistled, impressed.

"You really did a number on the base, didn't you, Lin?"

Lin's reaction was somewhat surprising.

His eyes went hard, and his face was as impassive as ever, but his tone was all ice and venom.

"Shut up, Yasuhara-san. Just, for once in your life, shut up."

It was the angriest thing ever to come out of Lin's mouth in front of them, and Yasu's mouth dropped open slightly in shock, while the others all looked at Lin strangely.

Big Boss gave Lin a warning glance.

"Lin…"

Lin turned to glare at Naru, and Naru flinched slightly, before his own eyes hardened.

"Take a walk, and come back when you're not going to kill us all."

Lin nodded, and strode out the door to base. Yasu heard his footsteps quicken, as if he started to run, and then they disappeared altogether, as if he'd left the warehouse.

'_There's no way he would've been able to make it through the entire warehouse that quickly. Not unless he had like, supersonic speed, along with all the weird wind things and the assassin's guild patch._'

Yasu looked out the window, and blinked.

"Hey, I can see Lin." He commented.

He wasn't expecting pretty much everyone to come over to the window, and look out. Nollene was pressed up against him, and she smelt like vanilla and cherries, with a slight hint of coffee. _No, he wasn't enjoying this in the slightest. What gave you that idea?_

Lin stood on the large expanse of concrete that had supported a building once, but it had been torn down to make room for a new one to be built after they exorcised the ghost.

His mouth was open, and he might have been screaming, but Yasu couldn't hear over the sudden _roar_ of wind that appeared out of nowhere.

The sky darkened, and the storm that had been coming all day finally broke, pouring great sheets of rain onto the concrete, and making it start to flood. The rain itself was slanted, and the wind started to swirl around Lin, forming a mini hurricane.

Fingers of lightening danced throughout the hurricane, glowing the same golden as Lin's eye had. The warehouse groaned and creaked, protesting at the onslaught of power that shook it's foundations.

Yasu jumped a foot when a voice-one that didn't belong to anyone from SPR- sounded behind him.

"**He's going to kill himself if he keeps this level up."**

The voice was male; deep and rumbling.

"**It's a good thing he's going to stop then, isn't, Xióng?"**

This voice was a lighter male voice, but it was a sly undercurrent.

**"Enough, both of you. I will go talk to Master, while you two go and check the perimeter. The rest of you stay here and guard."**

"**Yes ****_Commander_**** Tatsuo."**

There was a growl, and then a yelp, before a tall man with ice-blond hair and purple eyes appeared, perched on top of the monitors like a cat.

Everyone stepped back, except for Nollene and Naru, who both nodded respectfully.

"Tatsuo."

Tatsuo raised an eyebrow at Naru.

"Your manners are never this good when dealing with Koujo."

Naru shrugged.

"Lin can't kill me in over fifty ways."

Tatsuo sniggered, and Naru looked slightly unnerved, before Tatsuo jumped down from his perch, and headed towards the door.

"Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

Yasu shivered.

"Who was that?"

Naru looked at the monitors, and Nollene answered.

"Don't you remember, from those memories? Tatsuo was the one who taught Lin how to kill demons."

Yasu let out an 'oh', before his mind went back to the memories.

"To imagine that Lin went through all that,' Ayako murmured,' and still came out sane. A lesser person would have taken to the knife, or pills."

Monk nodded.

"Like that Taniyama guy said. Great resilience and spirit."

Yasu looked at Mai, who was kneeling on the ground, her expression far away.

"Mai-chan?"

Everyone looked at Mai, who continued to stare off into the distance. Naru moved towards her, and touched her arm.

"Mai."

Mai tilted her head, eyes distant.

"There were two of us,' she started, voice quiet,' two girls. Mai and Maya. Cricket and Grasshopper. Almost identical twins, but not quite. It was always two."

Naru looked like he'd been punched in the stomach, while Masako paled drastically.

"It's happening again."

She whispered, to concerned looks from John and Ayako. Mai continued, regardless.

"Always two; Light and Dark; Male and Female; Moon and Sun; Yin and Yang. Lin was the Yang; he was always the Light. Always the sun that everyone was drawn to; the one that cared for everyone, and told jokes, and lightened up the room."

Yasu frowned, confused.

"Are we talking about the same Lin here?"

"But there was his darkness; his Tori, who balanced him. Serious, but still had a sense of humour. She was his light; the one who kept him in reality. As it always was.

Koujo and Tori.

Tajo and Madoka.

Mamoru and Jia.

Always balanced. Always perfectly balanced."

Naru started to look concerned, but Mai simply talked faster, becoming agitated.

"Mai, that's enough."

"But his light is gone now, and he's in shadow. She left him in the shadows, and his light has gone out. It can never be rekindled, and now the balance is gone. He cannot be the Yang without his Yin."

_"Enough_."

.

The word cracked like a whip, and Yasu turned around, to see Lin leaning against the doorframe, his hair plastered to his neck and face. His clothes were dry, and Yasu notice that he'd managed to get changed.

Into jeans and a t-shirt.

_'Damn. He should be a model.'_

Mai continued staring straight ahead, shaking and pale, and Lin walked over to her.

"That's enough, Mai,' he said softly, touching her cheek. 'You shouldn't have had to see those things."

Mai blinked, and looked at Lin.

"What were you, to me? What did I call you?"

Lin leaned back, and sat on the couch opposite, sighing, before he answered.

"Madoka wasn't the only one who called me _Ani_."

Mai swallowed, and the others sat down on the couch, giving Lin curious looks.

"And the spell? What spell was this, that was placed in my head, blocking my memories?"

Lin bit his lip, and leaned forward, putting his head in his hands.

"You have every right to mad."

He looked up.

"All of you. I lied to you about who I was. The…_monster._" He whispered the last word, hands turning white at the knuckles. Yasu looked away.

.

.

"You're an idiot."

Lin's head snapped up so fast that Yasu thought that he'd get whiplash. Lin looked at Naru, who had folded his arms, and was looking at Lin disapprovingly.

"As if what you'd done made you a monster. You survived, you lived, and yes, you killed to do so. But the demoness didn't show us any of the kind things you've done. Teaching me how not to kill myself, and Gene how to make sure he didn't explode from the power I gave him."

Lin tilted his head, and Yasu blinked, the action making Lin look like a teenager.

'_He doesn't even look twenty-five.'_

Naru continued.

"And let's not forget, I lied to everyone for a whole year about my name."

Lin gave a humourless smirk.

"Dr. Davis and Mr. Lied."

"He's right."

John spoke up, meeting Lin's eyes.

"The case at my church. A monster wouldn't have put up with the kid clinging to him and calling him dad, let alone play with him."

Lin pursed his lips, and Yasu thought that he was hiding a smile.

"So did Frankenstein, and I snapped at Kenji, which made him run away."

John raised an eyebrow, and Yasu was reminded of how good his flatmate was at arguing.

"Frankenstein was created from science and stupidity. You were created by circumstance and necessity."

Everyone stared at John, who looked slightly embarrassed, and then to Lin, who looked grateful. Mai broke the silence.

"And the spell? Did you put it there?"

Lin shook his head.

"You asked us to put it there. I believe your words at the time were '_I don't want to remember. Make it go away.'_"

Mai froze.

"I said that?! Why?"

Lin sighed.

"When Amaya and Jia died, they weren't the only ones in the kitchen. You were there as well as your sister. Cho and Hana were inside, but they were too far away to be of any concern. You didn't want to remember seeing your mother die in front of your eyes every night, so you asked Tori to block your memories."

Mai nodded, looking away. Monk spoke up.

"How did you get the rest of your shiki? There are three of them, right?"

"Six." Lin smiled slightly, and shook his head. "It's a long story, so I might save it for another time. But,' he looked up at the top of the monitors,' I got them with kindness and bribes."

Lin then fixed a glare on Mai, who wilted slightly, and then he raked his gaze over the irregulars of SPR.

"You're not telling us something, and I doubt even Mai knows about it."

Yasu decided to try and bluff this out.

"We told you everything that had happened. What else could there be?"

It was a mistake, because Lin then fixed his iron glare on Yasu, and Yasu had the odd feeling of being caged.

"I'm talking about how Mai's abilities, which were also blocked as per request, are now back in full force. Her ESP, especially, shouldn't be looking into the past like that."

Mai swallowed, confused.

"Umm…"

Lin waved his hand dismissively

"I'll explain later."

Yasu exchanged a quick looked with Ayako and John, while Masako looked at the ground.

"Well?" Naru spoke up, and his voice was soft.

'_His angry voice, which means hours of paper work for everyone. We're doomed.'_

Yasu sighed dramatically.

"Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later."

John shot his flatmate a panicked look.

"Yasu, don't."

Yasu simply smiled, and pushed his glasses up, so that the light reflected off them.

"John almost got murdered by a ghost, and Masako was stalked by one…"

"Yasu." The warning was clear in Ayako's voice, but Yasu continued, finishing with a flourish.

.

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"And MAI BLEW UP A BUILDING!"

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><p><strong>Read and Review, and it's six reviews before next update!<strong>


	15. Lies and Whispers

**Ahhh, hey guys. Ummm, sorry about the late update, School starts in 2 days, so I had a lot to do, and updating completely slipped my mind, until I looked in my inbox.**

**So…yeah. Sorry for making you all wait so long.**

**School will be taking up a lot of my time, so the updates will be less frequent, I'm sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>John had never wanted to hit anyone before, unless it was his siblings.<p>

Now, he wanted to hit Yasu upside the head, for letting slip that tiny little secret; one that they were supposed to be keeping from both Naru and Mai.

And, by the looks of Ayako and Masako, he wasn't the only one.

Monk hadn't been there; he'd been on tour with his band.

Madoka wasn't here to explain it carefully and in scientific terms that Naru would understand, and Ayako would eventually lose her temper. Masako… John wasn't sure what Masako would say; she was too much of a mystery.

Yasu would just screw it up.

Badly.

So, John figured that he'd have to be the one to explain.

The look on Naru's face guaranteed certain death otherwise.

Poor Mai looked simply confused, while Lin had closed his eyes, seeming to have withdrawn into his head.

'_Ah. His block that he must have put up so he didn't relive his memories must have burst.'_

Naru decided to speak.

"Well? Does anyon want to explain this?"

His voice was dead soft, and John could almost _hear_ Yasu and Monk shivering.

"Well,' John began cautiously,' Mai technically didn't blow up the building. The gas leak did. After some moron cut the pipes, and decided that he'd…" John looked at Masako, who shrugged.

"You might as well tell them."

John chewed his thumbnail, before deciding with the whole truth.

'_Give me the truth. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth.'_

"There was a guy, at Mai's new school, who was…"

"Infatuated with Mai." Masako supplied, interrupting. John shrugged.

"Masako said that he'd made a pass at Mai a few times, and Yasu had picked her up from school once because he was waiting outside the gate. Then, he obviously got sick of waiting…"

"You forgot the millions of phone calls." Ayako added. John rolled his eyes.

"And the part where he followed her home from school, or was waiting for her at her apartment a few times." Yasu chimed in.

"A stalker, then." Naru deduced, sighing impatiently.

Masako shook her head.

"He attacked her in the hallway at school. She managed to fend him off, but he was expelled, and Mai was suspended."

"For self-defence? Lin asked, disbelieving.

Masako nodded, while Mai grew paler.

"Then Madoka took a case in the block of flats where he lived." She broke in quietly.

John placed a hand on her shoulder, and Mai reached up, and grabbed it.

"She didn't know; until she told us the details that it was where…_he_ lived. It was a standard residential haunting."

Mai looked at Naru, and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing we hadn't done before. It was easy."

"And then Takeo spotted Mai walking with Madoka, discussing the reasons why the spirit wouldn't have passed on." Yasu interjected, remembering.

"Can we _not_ say his name, please?" Mai said hotly, standing up and moving towards the window, looking out towards the treeline.

John shook his head.

"He was upset, and cut the gas lines in his apartment, before coming towards Mai. I was with Mai, and he…"

"Punched John in the stomach, cracking three ribs!"

Yasu chimed in gleefully. John glared at his flatmate.

"It was one rib, not three, and yes, I'm that skinny. Now shut up."

Yasu merely grinned and pushed his glasses further up his nose. John sighed.

"Yes, he punched me, and then he went for Mai, who… it's hard to describe."

John faltered, unsure about the wording.

"Threw up a shield between her and this…guy. Was it purple, or silver?"

Lin described, and then asked, ignoring the strange looks he got, as his eyes were still closed. John frowned, trying to remember.

"Silver, I think. Anyway, it managed to ignite the gas, causing everything to explode. I think we all blacked out at some point. I woke up, and Mai was across from me, bleeding from a wound in her head. There was some debris next to her; she must have deflected it away from herself when it fell."

Mai shook her head.

"I don't remember much after _he_ tried to grab me. I only remember waking up in the hospital in the ICU."

John looked at Naru, who was looking thoughtful.

"Have any other strange things happened like this?"

Mai shook her head.

"Nope. Apart from the whole ESP blabbing thing that I did a few times, but that was minor; just a bit too in depth into the spirits past."

Naru tapped his finger against the desk.

"Most interesting." He murmured to himself, eyes gazing far away.

John stood up, and made to move out the door.

"Do we need to pack up cameras?"

Naru nodded absentmindedly, thoughts still on Mai's powers.

"I think that we've finished. Ms. Hara and Matsuzaki, and Takigawa, do a walk through, and make sure no spirits are lingering. Yasuhara and Father Brown will assist Mai in packing up the equipment. Lin, I would like to talk to you for a moment."

John left the base to go find the cameras, not envying Lin in the slightest.

'_He's going to get such a grilling.'_

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Oliver couldn't help himself; he started to pace.<p>

It was a habit that he'd picked up from Luella; after himself and Gene had ended up in hospital after a scientific test gone wrong.

Lin had moved from the couch to the window, where Mai had stood, and was gazing out, leaning against the frame. He looked tense, but he was facing away from Oliver, so his expression was masked.

Oliver decided to put him out of his misery.

"You've been keeping secrets." He stated, preparing himself for the verbal sparring that was about to begin.

"We all keep secrets."

"But these could have affected future cases of they hadn't come to light."

"I would have preferred them to stay in the dark. My past isn't exactly something to be proud of."

"Yet, you still haven't answered the question."

"Was there a question? Or, what was it again? "_I do not feel it necessary to answer"_."

"So now you're mocking me, or trying to remind me of the circumstances that forced me to lie the first time I came."

"Take it how you will."

"What if someone was in danger and you could have used your gifts to save someone."

"Then I would have done so, and explained to the team how I did so."

"Omitting any reference to your past."

"I would love for my past to remain in the past, and not brought up at every available opportunity."

Lin's voice was flat, and was the same emotionless tone that he often used; not the slightly animated one that he used around Madoka, or anyone that he was close to.

"Yet you are dodging the issue." Oliver continued.

"As I have done for the past seven years."

"You should stop hiding."

There was silence, and Oliver was concerned that he'd gone too far, and that Lin had shut down and refused to answer any more of his questions.

"I can't."

The whisper was barely audible, but Oliver managed to catch it.

"There are things that the demoness didn't reveal. Things that are buried so deep inside my mind, which I never want to be found. Things that are so dark, they make my years on the streets look like a dream. Things that would put the whole team in danger, and I can't let that happen."

Oliver nodded, although he knew that Lin couldn't see him.

"Understood."

He moved to start taking down the monitors, but Lin spoke.

"Oliver, I think it would be best if Mai went back with Takigawa. She will easily pick up on this discussion, and may even see some of it, and the silence will make her uncomfortable."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, and turned back to Lin, who was still looking out of the window at the remaining storm clouds left behind after he'd lost his temper.

"Anything else?"  
>Lin turned to Oliver, an identical eyebrow raised.<p>

"And I refuse to play '_20 questions_' again."

Oliver nodded, and gave a small smile.

"Hurry up and pack up the monitors."

Lin sighed.

"Yes sir."

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**Not as long as it should be, but I really need to go to bed.**

**Sorry for taking so long on the update; I'll try to be better. 6 reviews!**


	16. True Git

**Hey! First 4 days of school? Not fun.**

**Not fun, at all.**

**But, I like all my teachers this year, so I'm happy.**

**So, yeah, I say it every time, but I still don't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Ayako slipped her shoes with a sigh of relief.<p>

It had been a week since their last case, and Ayako had been flat out in the hospital ever since.

She'd been avoiding her parents like a contagious disease, ever since they'd found out that she was dating a musician seriously, and not either a lawyer, doctor or psychologist.

'_Seriously, what do they have against musicians? It's not like he's stupid or something.'_

Ayako stretched her arms above her head, feeling her back click multiple times as her vertebrae settled back into place.

Mai and Masako were still at school, so Ayako had the whole flat to herself, for about two hours. She changed out of her scrubs into a green tank top and some black shorts, and turned on some music in the lounge.

As some jazz floated through the lounge, Ayako slumped on the couch, eyes half closing, and her thoughts drifted to the sandy-blonde bass player who managed to worm his way in to her life.

He'd surprised her since the day that they met, and SPR had formed.

She had honestly thought that he was just another moron or idiot who had managed to be thrown into the world of ghosts and demons and spirits. But, he certainly knew what he was talking about, and had a confidence with his exorcisms that Ayako sometimes wished she had.

It had seemed that at the start, all they were capable of doing was bickering endlessly; not that she minded. It was nice to argue with someone without really meaning it.

She hadn't quite realized when it had moved into light flirting, but the others obviously did, because Yasu, Mai and Masako had all been giving her and Monk strange looks, especially when she'd stopped hitting him with her purse.

One whole year, and during that time, Naru had left, Mai had discovered powers that could possibly rival Naru's, and Monk had gone on tour with his band.

It had taken him a grand total of two days after he got back from his tour to ask her if she wanted to go paintballing with his band, as everyone was bringing a partner.

He regretted it later, nursing massive bruises along his side, back and stomach after they played boys vs. girls, and had somehow neglected to mention that the partners that everyone were bringing were, in fact, the girlfriends of the band.

He asked her a week later if she wanted to go see a movie, and she agreed, surprising him as well as herself.

It really went on from there, really.

The younger nurses that she worked with teased her about the '_handsome man who dropped you off at work today'_ or '_the really good-looking one who picked you up late last night.'_

There was one time, when she'd overworked herself (again), and he'd come into her office, and physically dragged her out of there for some therapy.

Ayako smiled slightly at the memory as she drifted off to sleep, found like that by Mai and Masako two hours later.

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><p>.<p>

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><p><em>Ayako stared at the form; the words that had been blurred for ten minutes were still not coming into focus, no matter how many times she willed them.<em>

_She'd just come back from a staff meeting with her parents, and needless to say, it had not gone well._

_Nothing she ever did was good enough for them; top grades at Nagoshima, behind a Chinese Korean student, hard shifts in the Emergency Room, long shifts in the children's ward, and occasional stints in the ICU units._

_Now, when she told them that she wouldn't be visiting some famous lawyers house with them later that week, because she had previous arrangements, they had severely reprimanded her, and told her that she was coming, whether she liked it or not, because she needed to get serious about someone._

_That sore point had not helped the situation._

_Ayako had retorted that she'd met someone, and had a date on that same night of the dinner, and if they wanted her to go, then too bad. She was going to enjoy herself with someone who actually cared._

_Then she'd looked herself in her office, ignoring the concerned looks she'd gotten from the nurses and other doctors, and stayed in there for over two hours, ignoring the knocks and voices._

_Except one, that had come around the three hour mark; when mostly everyone else had gone home._

_"Ayako? Are you in there?"_

_Ayako stood up from her desk in a hurry, not wanting to keep Monk waiting. She opened the door, and almost got smack in the face by his fist; obviously he was going to knock again._

_Monk hurriedly apologized, but Ayako waved him off, giving him a tight hug, causing him to freeze in shock at the sudden initiated contact._

_"Get me out of here, before I go on a killing rampage." Ayako stated, looking at him._

_Monk rolled his eyes._

_"You've been hanging around Yasu too much."_

_Ayako sighed again, and rested her head on his shoulder when he wrapped his arms around her slowly. They stood there, before Monk asked her a question._

_"So, the meeting with your parents didn't go too well."_

_Ayako pulled out of the hug, and sighed heavily._

_"I told them I wasn't going to a dinner with them at some lawyers place this week, because I had other plans. They hinted that I wasn't getting any younger, and needed to be serious about someone."_

_Monk frowned._

_"You couldn't reschedule your plans later? I mean, this dinner thing must be important."_

_"To them,' Ayako corrected,' not to me. It's the same night your band's performing."_

_Monks eyebrows raised in understanding, before grabbing her hand, and pulling her towards the door._

_"I know just what you need."_

_._

_"Are you being serious?" Ayako asked him disbelieving, eyeing the punching gloves that now adorned her hands, as well as the slightly big singlet, and shorts that she now wore; they had belonged to Yuri; the bands singer._

_Monk raised an eyebrow._

_"I'm offering you a free chance to hit me without complaining, and you think I'm joking?"_

_Ayako gave him her _are-you-stupid?_ Look._

_"I didn't take you for a masochist."_

_Monk grinned at her disarmingly._

_"We all must sacrifice things for the ones we love. Now hit me."_

_Ayako swung at him half-heartedly; not wanting to hurt him._

_Monk brought his arms up and easily blocked the blow._

_"Come on, Ayako. I've done this kind of thing before. You won't hurt me."_

_Ayako raised an eyebrow._

_"No promises."_

_Searching for those self-defence lessons she'd taken when she was at school, she swung harder, aiming for his face._

_His hands came up to block the blow, and he caught it._

_He didn't catch the blow that landed on his stomach, or the next one which was, in fact, Ayako kicking his thigh._

_Monk stumbled back, gasping for breath._

_Ayako planted her hands on her hips._

_"Come on, Houshou; I didn't hit you that hard."_

_Monk looked at her funny, and she self-consciously raised a hand to her face._

_"Is there something on my face?"_

_Monk shook his head, smiling slightly._

_"You used my first name."_

_Ayako frowned._

_"If you don't want me to, then…"_

_"No. It…sounds nice when you say it."_

_Ayako flushed slightly, before bringing her hands up into the defensive position that her roommate had taught her a few years ago._

_"Are you going to go again, or are you backing out now?"_

_Houshou glared at her, before standing up straight and rubbing his sore thigh._

_"Let's see what you've got."_

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><p><em>.<em>

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><p>Mai walked in the front door, noticing that the door was already unlocked. Masako followed her, dropping her bag full of books on an empty chair.<p>

"Where's Ayako?" she asked.

Mai looked around, noting down the jazz music, and the lack of the shower going. She walked over to the couch, and almost had a heart attack, when she saw Ayako asleep; usually she was awake until at least ten, before going to bed, and getting up at five in the morning.

Masako came up next to Mai, and stared down in shock.

"Wow. She's asleep."

Mai raised an eyebrow, mentally wondering when she'd adopted the Naru-like action, and pulled a blanket over her sleeping guardian, being extra careful to not wake her.

"I hate her parents,' Masako seethed,' they always work her too hard."

Mai nodded, and walked into the kitchen, already hunting around for ingredients to cook dinner. She turned to Masako.

"Chicken stir-fry alright with you?"

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Nollene leaned against Oliver, her head resting on his shoulder, while he was reading a book, occasionally turning a page, or marking a section in the book.<p>

In return, Oliver was leaning slightly against her, as one arm was over her shoulders, while the other was turning the page and writing.

Nollene pulled up her blanket, and closed her eyes, listening to her brother's heartbeat.

It had been a rough week, and Nollene's nightmares were becoming more and more frequent; ever since the encounter with the demon, when she'd seen Lin's memories.

'_No wonder he understood my hurt; he'd been through much worse though.'_

Oliver paused, and Nollene could almost feel him frown.

"What?"

Oliver tapped his pen against the book, and tilted his head slightly.

"Do you think that the presence of a spirit guide stops first person dreams, and changes them to second person?"

Nollene groaned, and thumped her brother over the head with a pillow.

"Stop working, Oliver! Work finishes at 6:00, not 10:00."

Oliver sighed, and shut his book, leaning forward slightly to place it and the pen on the coffee table.

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Nollene grinned wickedly, and Oliver leaned away from her slightly.

"Well,' Nollene began,' I _did_ pack my entire collection of MARVEL made movies, and some DC ones as well, and some anime series, so…"

Oliver groaned.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

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**Hey! Sorry about the long update wait; school sucks, so does homework within the first four days.**

**So, I'll try to be more frequent. Waitangi Day is this Friday, so I may be able to update then.**

**Review please! 7 reviews!**


	17. The Scary Silence

**Argh. Swimming Sports was a killer, especially as I had to swim in 5 long or taxing races (butterfly is hard, even one length= 33 yards).**

**6 lengths freestyle, 2 free, 3 and 2 breaststroke, and 1 fly, plus both relay races for senior girls, swimming freestyle both times (medley relay plus the freestyle relay).**

**I did get some placings though, so I'm happy- considering that I don't do professional swimming like most of the girls there.**

**On top of that, I got epically sunburnt, and now I hurt all over, especially my face.**

**Anyway, enjoy, because its fanfiction, and I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>Hana Kwan felt awful.<p>

The sickness that was slowly destroying her body had hit hard these past few weeks; it had accelerated her body's deterioration far quicker than any of the doctors had predicted. Hana estimated that she had less than two weeks to live now.

After that, it was then that Koujo and Ruka, her best friends of over eight years, would have to take care of her daughter, Ren.

The only thing that Hana didn't envy them was the explaining that would come after she'd died; why Ren's mother wasn't coming home any more, and where she went.

Ren was a bright girl though; top in all her classes at school, and wise beyond her seven years. She would understand; she already knew that her mother was sick, and that there was no cure.

Besides, Akira Takatori, the woman who owned the brothel down the road, had always loved Ren, and Hana had no doubt that Akira would keep an eye out for Ren when she was older, and steer her in the right direction towards universities.

Hana's only regret was that she had never seen Mai again, and seen the two sisters reunited, because it was nearly time for her to travel to a better place.

She hoped that Koujo knew what he was doing, when he kept those two separate for a reason, and why he never spoke of Tori, his girlfriend who had died, in front of anyone who didn't know her, and the very few people who did know her briefly.

Hana clutched at a chair near her, as her vision swam, and blackness started to creep in at the edge of her vision. She suddenly realized how bad her situation was now, if she collapsed.

Maya and Ren, and all of the exchange students were at school, while Ruka was on a case, and Koujo was at work; there was no one to help her if she fell.

'_Why the hell did I decide that it was a good idea to walk to the kitchen to grab some of the paperwork so I could do the GST before everyone got home?'_

The blackness at the edges of her vision grew, and her head started to ache, before it completely covered her vision, and Hana felt her legs buckle.

Then she knew nothing at all.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Ren Kwan bounced towards her home, her friend and current babysitter, Maya Taniyama, following close behind, smiling slightly.<p>

Out of all the teenagers at Outcasts, Maya was her favourite.

She never yelled, or lost her temper, or said cruel things to others, and she always made time for Ren, no matter how busy she was. She was also one of the very few people who lived at Outcasts, so she was around all the time.

Maya was just quiet in general; she was overly shy, and hardly spoke to anyone, unless she was sure that she could trust them. Her voice was oddly light and ethereal, and most outsiders who heard it thought that she was high, or weird, or damaged. Naturally, Maya didn't want to speak often.

"Be careful, Ren."

The light, lilting tones drifted through the air, and found their way into Ren's ears. Ren stepped back from the curb, and a car rushed by; inches from where she was originally standing.

Ren blinked, and turned to look at Maya, who was blushing a bright red, embarrassed at being caught out using her abilities. Maya could see seconds into the future, and could also manipulate her PK-MT into ribbons that glowed with light.

Very handy in dark places, when people got scared.

Ren waited for Maya to catch up with her, and then grabbed her hand.

"Do you think _Eomma_ will be home today?" she asked the tall brunette.

Maya shrugged.

"One can never be too sure what will happen today. I've been blocking my gift longer, so that the future is always a surprise."

Ren pouted.

"So you're saying that you want it to be a surprise whether she's home or not?"

Maya nodded, smiling.

"Life should always be full of surprises. It makes life interesting, you see."

Ren shrugged, and leapt up onto the concrete wall that lined the other side of the footpath, balancing along the top, schoolbag swinging.

"Do you think we should surprise _Imo_ Ruka on her birthday then?"

Maya giggled, eyeing the girl carefully for any signs of imbalance.

"Don't fall off. Maybe we should; she needs a little fun after the case she's working on. _Ani_ might help us; we could ask him when he gets home."

Ren laughed brightly, and jumped off the wall; doing a flip in the air.

"I hope he comes home early tonight. He said he'd show me how to do backflips!"

Ren grinned as Maya shook her head.

"I'm sure he's supposed to be the mature one out of the two of you, yet you both act like children when you get on the mats."

Ren giggled at Maya's amused expression.

''At least you have him all to yourself when it's self-defence; he only takes the advanced classes."

Maya sighed, and turned into the pathway that led up to Outcasts, checking the mailbox first for any letters. There weren't any, so she assumed that Hana was already home, or that _Ani_ was. Checking her watch, she crossed off the later.

He always came home after six.

Ren turned the doorknob, and the door swung open, already unlocked.

"We're home!" she called, shucking her schoolbag and carrying it up the stairs.

The house was too quiet; and Ren felt uneasy.

"Hello?"

Maya checked the in-out cards that sat next to the door; only Hana was home. She swapped her card and Ren's card over to _IN_, and followed Ren up the stairs. She could still hear Ren calling, but something felt off.

"_Imo _Ruka? _Samchon_ Koujo? _Eomma?_"

Ren dumped her bag outside her bedroom door, and walked into the office, where her mother would normally be.

The chair was empty, but there was a cup of green tea sitting on the desk next to the keyboard, and the screensaver was slowly floating around the screen, bouncing off the sides.

Ren frowned, and walked into the common area, noting the pieces of paper on the table, and the opened letters lying on the couch, with the letter opener next to them.

"Maya?"

Ren called, dread swooping around in her stomach, and gathering in her chest, making it hard to breath.

Maya came up next to her, and noticed the letters.

"She is home then."

Ren looked at Maya, her face pale.

"But where is she?"

Maya walked into the kitchen, and stopped dead.

Hana lay on the floor, eyes closed, and inches away from a chair.

Maya dropped to her knees, and gently lifted Hana's head off the floor; opening her airway and checking for a pulse.

"Ren, call an ambulance.

Maya turned to look at Ren, who had gone pale and was close to tears, and was staring at her mothers body in shock.

"Ren." Maya called, a bit more firmly,' call and ambulance. Now."

Ren nodded, and ran to the phone, while Maya pulled out her cellphone, scrolling through her contacts before she reached _Ani's_ number.

She pressed call, and waited for him to pick up.

She could hear Ren in the office, speaking to the call centre, her voice slightly shaky, but her words clear and precise; just like _Ani_ and Ruka had taught her to do in a scenario such as this.

They had known that it was going to happen someday.

Her cellphone clicked, and she heard _Ani_'s voice on the other end.

"_Koujo Lin_."

"_Ani_, it's Maya. How soon can you come home?"

_"Not for some time; I still have a couple of hours at work. Why?"_

Maya didn't answer; she was silently hoping that _Ani_'s boss would be nice enough to let him come home early.

_"Maya?"_

Maya jumped, and remembered that _Ani_ was still on the phone.

"Could you please ask your boss if you could possibly come home a bit earlier tonight?"

_"Why? What's going on?"_

Ren came out of the office and nodded at Maya; they were sending an ambulance. Ren left, to go flag down the ambulance when it arrived.

Maya took a deep breath, and uttered two words into the phone that would ensure his return.

"It's Hana."

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><p>.<p>

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**Dun dun dun duuuuuuuunnnnnn. **

**Whatever will happen next?**

**Thank to reviewers Sierrapeyton, NaginiFay, comwiz, Ishval, AmyNChan, Naruisawesome and slvrphoenix, for reviewing the last chapter, and enabling this chapter to be posted.**

**7 reviews if you want to know what happens next!**

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**So review- the box is hungry, and is begging for food.**

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	18. The Colour of Spirits

**So, the allocated seven reviews have been sent in, so I must update, as per instructions.**

**Sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you anything before hand; you must find out in the chapter.**

**It's Fanfiction, so I don't own Ghost Hunt, and enjoy.**

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><p>Mai stared at the massive house that she stood in front of.<p>

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The house stared back.

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Mai could feel nothing _evil_ emanating from this house, so that ruled out evil spirits or demons. It could easily be a poltergeist, or a residential haunting, or something similar. Mai highly doubted that it was anything serious; it could probably be dealt with within a day.

That was when her attention was drawn to other vehicles that were there.

There was Monk's car, and Yasu's car; both of which had equipment in the storage space behind the seats. Mai had gone with Monk, Ayako and Masako, while Naru had gone with John, Nollene and Yasu.

Lin wasn't on this case, for some strange reason. He'd all but sprinted out of his office two days beforehand; without offering an explanation. They'd all heard his car start, and heard it peeling out of the carpark. Naru had gotten a text from him saying that he was taking a few days off, for personal business.

Naru hadn't disclosed any details, but it was clear that from the Chinese man's response to the call he'd received, the news had rattled him. Anything that rattled Lin was worth taking note of.

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Next to Monk and Yasu's cars, there was a van that had _'The Grey Sisters; Psychic Mediums'._ Judging by Masako's grimace, which was quickly hidden behind a kimono sleeve, she knew them, and wasn't very pleased to see them here.

There were another two vans.

One read '_The Diablo Brothers; Demon Hunters,'_ which Mai found quite interesting. Also John's reaction; puzzlement; and his quiet _"Why are they here in Japan?" _had intrigued Mai about the history of the brothers and John.

The second one read "_Minami Psychic Research."_ And made Mai stomach somersault, as she remembered the last case they'd met. It had involved a monster, Masako being kidnapped, and Mai having a death dream in first person.

Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant memory.

She felt Naru rest a hand on her shoulder, but she continued to stare at the house, trying to gauge something from it. Obviously, her animal instincts had decided to take the day off today; nothing was showing itself to her, and the house simply had a saddened and empty feeling.

"Mai?"

Mai shook her head.

"Nothing. Maybe I'll get something if I step inside, like with the _Kongju_ case."

Naru nodded, and gently grabbed her arm, leading her aside from the rest of SPR. Mai looked at him, confused, and Naru locked his gaze with hers.

"I want you to watch the other teams closely, and try to keep out of trouble." Naru looked at the house. "I have an uneasy feeling about this place. Be careful."

Mai raised an eyebrow, and smiled slightly at him.

"I'm always careful."

Naru raised his own eyebrow, smirking.

"You keep telling yourself that."

Mai pouted, and pushed Naru's shoulder playfully, before grabbing her bag.

"I also want you to sit through the case briefing. It should prove most educational for you."

Mai stopped walking, and looked at Naru in amazement.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my Narcissist?"

Mai immediately blushed at the surprised look that graced Naru's face, as he turned to look at her. He gazed at her, incredulous, and, if Mai didn't know better, slightly amused.

"_Your_ Narcissist?"

Mai blushed harder, before Naru turned around and headed towards the house.

"We should probably get inside. I don't want to be late for the briefing."

Mai huffed in annoyance, before hurrying in after him, not wanting to be late to the briefing either. It would reflect badly on the company, and would affect how the client thought of them.

Not to mention, Naru would punish her with a mountain of paperwork when the case was finished.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>"The house was built about one hundred years ago, by Akio Moriyama, who was a doctor at the time. He later served in the war, and died. The house then fell to his son, Kenta. Kenta then tried to sell the house to someone outside the family, but strange things started to happen to any visitors who came to view the house. Kenta passed away from a heart attack, and the house was brought by the Minamoto family…"<p>

Nollene tuned out the drone of the client, and passed a note to Yasu; it was a cartoon drawing of the client, with an exaggerated nose and stomach. Yasu opened it, sniggered, and passed it on to John, who smiled and shook his head, before passing it to Masako, who in turn passed it to Ayako, who passed it to Monk, each giving their own version of a smile.

Nollene didn't envy Mai in the slightest; she was going to join in the briefing, and then decided against it. Oliver always managed to look professional; even if he'd tuned out the client hours ago. Mai still looked attentive, and was taking notes, while Oliver's gaze discreetly raked over the other groups; assessing and taking mental notes.

"…Any questions that anyone would like to ask?"

Nollene turned her attention back to the client, and watched as a member of Minami Psychic Research raised a hand.

From memory of Oliver's descriptions of the Urado case, this was the leader of the group, who'd hired Raymond Wall to impersonate her brother.

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Moron.

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The question itself was stupid, and showed little thought to its structure and phrasing.

Nollene caught Oliver's eyes, and pulled a face. He turned his head away to hide a smile, and lifted his hand to his mouth, pretending to yawn. Nollene hid her giggles, and looked at Mai, who was glaring at Oliver disapprovingly, before turning her attention back to the client, who was still answering the stupid question.

Nollene glanced around the spacious dining room, and absent-mindedly noted down particular pieces of artwork, while studying the other research teams.

Minami Psychic Research needed to do some research on how to be real psychic investigators, while the Grey Sisters looked too stuck up and pretty to be able to do anything. Judging by the glares that were sent to Masako from them, they hated the actual medium here.

Masako met their eyes for a second, before deliberately looking down at her book and turning the page delicately. Nollene hid a snort.

The Diablo Brothers were easy on the eyes, and they looked as bored as she felt. Their posture looked depressed, and Nollene wondered if they'd been dragged into this case. One of them was taking notes, while the other leaned back in his chair lazily; looking like a jungle cat lounging on a branch; loose muscles and deadly intent.

Nollene suddenly had a flashback to a scene much like this one, but with two different people.

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_Noll leaned over his notebook, taking notes on what the client was saying, while Gene leaned back in his chair; his arm slung over the back of the seat, and his legs stretched out in front of him under the table._

_"Spirits crying out in pain…" Nollene stopped listening._

_It was always the same; Spirits in pain, and hurting other people; trying to pass on a message to live people about how they died or who killed them. England was boring like that. _

_Gene was obviously one step away from putting his feet up on the table, but a glare from Luella quickly changed his mind. Luella was there to supervise the two boys, while Lin provided back up for Martin, in case he needed it. Luella also offered an opinion of what a ghost may be feeling, or what they felt._

_Psychologists were good like that._

_Nollene turned her attention quickly back to the conversation, as everyone stood up, and made their way into base. Madoka Mori grinned at her, and tossed her a line of power cords for the monitors. Nollene sighed, and started to hook up all the computers and microphones; starting at one end of the house, while Madoka did the other._

_._

Nollene shook her head slightly, and stood up when the rest of them did.

From the looks of it, it was going to be a very boring case.

Mai made her way over to Nollene, her face annoyed.

"The stupid intern from MPR was staring at me the entire time. It was so annoying!" she hissed, glaring at the said intern, who was gazing at Mai with a stunned look of admiration.

Oliver noticed this, and put an arm around Mai, whispering something in her ear. Mai looked up at him and smirked, while Oliver smirked back; a silent message passing between them. Mai laughed softly, and whispered something back to Oliver, who only smirked more.

Nollene shook her head, smiling at the two of them.

"You two are such a tease together. Oliver, you're breaking the hearts of the Grey Sisters." Oliver glanced towards the Grey Sisters, who were gazing at him with open lust, and glaring at Mai. Masako huffed, and stood up gracefully, placing a bookmark on her page.

"They can go rot in the darkest pit of hell." She hissed, stalking out of the room towards base. John shrugged and followed; he seemed the only one who was able to talk sense into Masako when she was angry; Yasu only made it worse last time.

Nollene shared an amused glance with Ayako.

"I'm guessing they don't get along then."

Ayako shrugged.

"There's always someone else in the business who wants to be better. Unfortunately, Masako happens to be one of the most reliable mediums this decade. The Grey Sisters can't handle that, so they go after her."

Nollene sighed.

"Immature children shouldn't play with the big kids."

Oliver tugged Mai forward with him, and walked out the door towards base, conversing with her on low tones. It looked like a heated discussion between them, and Nollene wondered what they were arguing about.

Ayako and Monk followed, talking with Yasu about what it might be; the Shinto Priestess was in favour of Earth Spirits, while the Monk thought that it was a simple residential haunting. Nollene followed a second later, pausing to grab Masako's forgotten book.

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As she stood up, and moved towards the door, she felt a shoulder hit her back, and she fell forward, the wind knocked out of her. She looked up, and saw the brightly patterned dress of one of the Grey Sister's sweep past, followed by two more. It was quickly followed by the plain shoes and heels from the people of MPR, before a pair of black boots stopped in the corner of her vision.

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"Do you need a hand, miss?"

The voice was quiet and soft-spoken, with a slight British accent. Nollene let her gaze drift upwards, noting the all black theme, complete with a leather jacket. Her eyes met two light blue ones framed by black hair, and she nodded weakly, her chest still tight.

A hand descended, and grabbed her upper arm gently, tugging her to her feet, while another pair of hands supported her back, and gently pressed her back, suddenly allowing her to breathe. She did so, sucking in great lungful's of air.

"Easy; it might take a few minutes."

The second man spoke, and his tone was light.

Nollene felt a sudden ache; these two were exactly like Noll and Gene when she first met them; one shy and quiet, the other one joking and funny.

Nollene stood up straight and faced them, bowing slightly.

"Thank you for your assistance, gentlemen. It was greatly appreciated."

The two Diablo Brothers bowed back; one grinning, the other impassive.

"I'm Alex, and this is Edward."

The smiling one, Alex introduced them. Nollene tilted her head.

"Nollene. I'm a fellow Brit."

Alex grinned even wider, and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Nollene, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Don't quote _Casablanca_, please, Alex. It gives me a headache when you do that." Edward stated softly, holding the door open. Nollene nodded her thanks, and shrugged off the arm.

"Again, thank you for your assistance, but I should be getting back. My boss will be concerned."

Alex gave her a salute.

"If anyone gives you trouble, just tell us, and we can make their lives miserable. Fare thee well!"

Edward gave Nollene a small smile, and the duo set off, bickering in English, their British accents placing them from somewhere around Manchester.

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Nollene shook her head, and walked inside base, ignoring the strange look she got from Yasu.

She stopped suddenly, as she heard a voice.

"_Help me. He's coming for me."_

Nollene spun around quickly, her eyes searching the hallway for clues.

"Nollene?" Oliver asked, looking at her with concern. The others were as well, and Nollene frowned.

"Did none of you just hear that voice?"

Mai shook her head, while Masako frowned.

"I didn't hear anything unusual." Masako offered.

Nollene shook her head.

"It's probably just nothing. Maybe my imagination is being over-active again."

Then she heard it again. It was stronger, and was accompanied by a feeling of dread that left Nollene breathless and shaky.

Nollene shut the base doors, and turned around, gazing at nothing, trying to spot the spectre. She closed her eyes briefly, and opened them slowly, so that she was now semi on the spectral plane. She ticked off people's auras, as she had always done each time something like this happened.

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Oliver's gold and Mai's silver swirled together, while John's light blue and Masako's purple brushed together. Monk's red and Ayako's green were next to Yasu's grey. There were no clear auras, indicating no spirits, and the absence of Lin's pure white aura left a gaping hole in the team.

She shook her head, confused.

"Three times the charm." She muttered.

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The third time she heard it, she was overwhelmed with a fear so great, she let out a muffled shriek; her hand covering her mouth just in time, before she blacked out.

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"_He's coming for me, and now he's coming for you too."_

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**Sooo, 7 reviews are great, but still, more would be appreciated IT TAKES LESS THAN THIRTY SECONDS TO LEAVE A REVIEW, SO LEAVE ONE!**

**Temper tantrum over.**

**I should probably get ready for school tomorrow, so yay. Review, and I might update.**


	19. Boy's Don't Cry

**I wrote this chapter when the FF servers were down, so I wasn't able to read any reviews that might have been left on the previous chapter. **

**One the plus side, I am now one chapter ahead for this story, so I have a brief break.**

**Yay!**

**It's still called Fanfiction; therefore I cannot own Ghost Hunt.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>The steady beating of the heart monitor drove through Koujo's brain.<p>

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Normally, he'd see Oliver in the hospital bed, or Mai, or, in the rare occurrence, Nollene. There had been one time that Gene had been in hospital; after a spirit had possessed him, and had refused to let go, so he'd dealt with it.

Gene had never really forgiven him for that, especially after the killer headache he had when he woke up.

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This time, however, one of the few people he could actually call a friend was lying in the hospital bed; her face almost indistinguishable from the white sheets.

Hana's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, defining her collarbones and shoulders with each inhale. Ren sat on the other side of the bed, curled up on Maya's lap, tears slowly making their way down her face. Maya's own face held tear tracks, but she'd stopped crying an hour ago, and her eyes now held an empty look.

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"She's never going to wake up again, is she?"

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Koujo met Ren's eyes, choosing his words carefully. He took a breath, but Ren held up her hand.

"Don't lie. Tell me the truth."

Koujo exhaled, before bracing himself.

"It's a distinct possibility, but one can never be too sure about these things."

Ren nodded, and curled in even further to the comfort that Maya provided. Maya drew her arms around Ren tightly, and met Koujo's eyes.

"Is Ruka coming?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.

"She said she'll be here as quick as she can. She had a case to finish up; she was in court today."

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Maya nodded, and Koujo returned his gaze to all the machines that were keeping his friend alive, mentally noting stats and numbers down in his brain. It was awful, having to wait. Because Koujo knew, deep down, that he was waiting for his friend to die.

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The door opened twenty minutes later, and Ruka came in, her curly hair falling out of its normally immaculate bun. Her eyes took in the machines, and the various tubes and bags that were hooked up to Hana, and then to Ren and Maya, curled up in a chair that was definitely meant to seat one. Finally, Koujo met Ruka's eyes, and Ruka moved towards him, Koujo already standing up.

"Is she…?"

Koujo shook his head.

"We don't know. She hasn't woken up so far."

Ruka nodded, tears building in her eyes.

"It took me two days to finish that blasted case. In those two days, she could've gone, without me being here."

Koujo wrapped his arms around his normally bouncy friend, and Ruka turned into his embrace, the tears falling swiftly.

"I don't want her to die. Why do all of our friends keep dying?"

Koujo raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"If I knew that, Ruka, then I would be able to fix this."

Ruka nodded, and sat down on the chair that Koujo had vacated, while he himself perched on the windowsill. Silence descended, broken only by the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

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Two hours passed, and visiting hours were coming to a close, when Hana stirred.

"Why are you all looking so glum?"

The whisper was barely there, but everyone heard it in the silence of the room. Koujo met Hana's eyes, and Hana gave him a tired smile.

"Last time I try and do the GST with no one else at home."

Ruka choked on her tears; a mix between laughing and crying, while Ren crawled off Maya's lap, and went to her mother's side, grabbing her hand. Hana turned to look at her daughter, a sad smile gracing her lips.

"I'm sorry, Ren, that I have to leave you. I'll never get to see you grow up."

Ren clutched at her mother's hand, shaking her head.

"Don't say things like that. You're going to get better, and you'll be able to watch me grow up."

Tears started to drip down the younger girls face, and her voice held a desperate note. Hana shook her head, and started coughing, her chest heaving for air. Koujo stood, and offered her a glass of water, but Hana turned it down, facing her daughter.

"You are everything I could have wished for in a daughter, Ren. Hard-working, kind, intelligent, and resourceful. Don't throw that away. Be strong, and stay strong, no matter what happens."

Ren choked on her tears, and Ruka grabbed Hana's other hand. Hana turned her attention to her yearmate, her gaze like flint.

"Promise me that you'll take care of Ren."

Her gaze drifted to ensnare Koujo as well, and Koujo had the odd sense of being trapped. He looked at Ruka, who nodded.

"We promise, 'Na."

Ren sniffed, and Koujo moved closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, while Maya grabbed Ren's hand. Ruka came closer to them, and Koujo wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer. Hana looked at them all.

"I'm sorry that I have to leave you all."

Koujo shook his head, and gave Hana a small smile.

"It's a better place. Say hello to everyone one from us."

Hana squeezed Ren's hand, and wiped a few stray tears.

"**Don't cry**,' Hana whispered in Korean,' **I'll always be right**…" Hana poked Ren's chest,' **Here,**' and poked Ren's head,' **and** **in there**."

Ren shook her head, and cried harder.

"**Please, don't leave me**!"

Hana stroked her cheek, and then placed her arm on the bed.

**"I'll never really leave you. Goodbye**."

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There was a silence, before Koujo realized what had happened, just as the heart monitor flat-lined. Ren lost all colour in her face, and then collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, shaking off hands and arms, before Koujo knelt down next to her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Ren returned the hug, sobbing into Koujo's chest. Ruka and Maya clung to each other, each ignoring the tears, as a nurse came in, offering her condolences. Koujo picked up Ren, like he used to do when she was younger, and continued to hug her, muttering reassuring words in his somewhat rusty Korean.

Finally, a doctor tapped him on the shoulder, and politely asked him to leave, as they needed to prepare the body for burial. Koujo nodded, slightly shocked. He in turn tapped Ruka, and started to lead the two girls out of the room, still carrying Ren.

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"Wait."

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Ren whispered, tugging on Koujo's fringe, immediately getting his attention. Koujo paused, and Ren leaned over towards her mother, and dropped a small water lily on her chest. It was slightly crumpled, as if it had been sitting in her pocket all day. Koujo set her down, and Ren stood on tiptoe, whispering something soft in Hana's ear, before kissing her forehead.

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"Goodbye,_ Eomma_."

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Silently asking to be picked up again by Koujo, Ren left the room, leaving a part of herself behind.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>It was around midnight when Maya gave up sleeping.<p>

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The rest of the Outcasts hadn't taken Hana's death well, and there were many shared tears. Ren had refused to leave _Ani's_ side, and had stayed with him until she finally fell asleep. Even then, Kasey; an American exchange student, stayed with her, in case Ren woke up in the night.

The others had all drifted off to bed at least two hours ago, but Maya had been tossing and turning. _Ani_ had sent emails to the respective Student Services at each school, notifying them that numerous students weren't coming into school for the rest of the week.

The principal at Ren's school had offered her condolences, and had emailed back some schoolwork, '_Should Ren need to keep her mind off things'_. She had also offered to let Ren have, at maximum, a month off.

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Maya crept into the kitchen, and stopped dead.

_Ani_; who never drank alcohol, and Ruka; who despised the stuff, were sitting at the table, sharing a bottle of what looked to be vodka. _Ani_ had a knife, and was carving something into the table, which Maya found odd, as no one was allowed to carve stuff on the table.

Judging by the empty shot glasses, and the half-bottle remaining, they'd already had a few shots. Ruka suddenly turned around and faced Maya.

"You might as well come in."

_Ani_ turned his head, and blinked in surprise, before dragging a chair out with his foot. Maya took it as an invitation to sit, so she did so, giving the bottle a wary glance. _Ani_ noticed this, and grinned humourlessly.

"It doesn't really solve your problems, so don't use it often."

Maya nodded, wondering how much the two adults had already drunk (and at what speed), and how impaired their judgement was. _Ani_ must have read something in her gaze, because he leant towards her, and whispered in her ear.

"It's really only for Ruka. I can't get drunk."

_Ani_ picked up the bottle, and topped up his glass and Ruka's. Ruka immediately downed hers, and continued to stare at the table at the recent carving. Maya followed her gaze, and her heart leapt to her throat.

Usually, there were year lists, with the students names carved into the table, along with their school, and the adults in charge. However, there was a new list; a list off all the people who'd died while at Outcasts, with their birth dates and their death dates next to them.

Maya traced her parent's names lightly, while reading the others.

_._

_._

_Mamoru Taniyama- 27__th__ June 1970- 28__th__ October 2003_

_Lucy Stone- 4__th__ September 1990- 25__th__ August 2007_

_Rosaline Wood – 12__th__ July 1990- 25__th__ August 2007_

_Jia Taniyama (Maki) - 14__th__ May 1971- 13__th__ July 2009_

_Amaya Mori- 16__th__ February 1988- 13__th__ July 2009_

_Tori Li- 30__th__ July 1990- 22__nd__ July 2010_

_._

And the latest addition, which _Ani_ must have been carving as she walked in.

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_Hana Kwan- 8__th__ August 1991- 8__th__ February 2015_

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Maya's eyes misted over slightly.

"In order. So much death."

_Ani_ nodded, and tipped back his shot glass, before refilling it, as well as Ruka's. The lawyer downed it again with barely a pause, and continued to stare at the names. _Ani_ pushed his shot glass towards Maya, raising an eyebrow at her incredulous gaze.

"You're legal age. Besides, it'll help you sleep."

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Maya looked at the glass, and back and _Ani_, who wasn't meeting her gaze; instead he was sketching a drawing of Hana in the middle of a karate kick; her hair tied up, and her body young and beautiful.

The raw grief of _Ani_'s expression almost rendered her breathless, and she turned her attention back to the shot glass, which now had sweat dripping down it. Maya shrugged internally, and picked it up.

'_What the hell. It's just one shot, right?'_

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She downed it, swallowing the liquid instantly.

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It burnt the whole way down, tasting of sadness and regret.

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**So, yeah, sad chappy.**

**Sorry, but my friend told me to add some tragedy (as if all those ghosts who died aren't enough).**

**Sorry about that.**

**Standard 7 reviews for the chapter before I update!**

**.**

**A.N: Ren's name means ****_Water Lily,_**** so by leaving a water lily behind, she was leaving a part of herself so that her mother would remember her.**

**Just thought that I would point that out.**


	20. Beauty and the Beast

**Guess who?**

**So, hey everyone, Tori is back, and is so far staying ahead of her own story. The delays in writing are due to the saxophone practise (Exam in July and a few festivals plus school), and homework, which teachers delight in giving us.**

**So, unfortunately, updates will be far less frequent that I'd like them to be, but we all must adapt to the flow of school and hardship etc.**

**Speech over.**

**Last time I checked, the site was still called Fanfiction, so we all must assume that I, for obvious reasons, don't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p>For the fifth time in two minutes, Oliver glanced at his sister, concern evident in his eyes.<p>

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She was far too pale, and collapsing was never a good sign. Her breaths were shallow and quick, and her temperature had decided to alternate between boiling hot and freezing cold. Ayako had been worried, but Oliver had remembered, vaguely, that using her abilities caused her body to go into overdrive.

.

As such, when she went to the spectral plane, it usually caused her to be light headed for a while; nothing major. It wouldn't cause her to collapse.

But Oliver remembered that she'd asked about a voice before, so maybe something had been trying to reach her. That in itself was odd; Nollene wasn't a medium. Perhaps though, her PK-LT made her slightly more approachable if the spirit had needed healing.

One could never be sure with spirits.

.

If that wasn't bad enough, Mai had commented beforehand about the intern from MPR staring at her a bit too intently for her liking.

So, Oliver had done something that would have made his twin proud; he acted. He pretended that he and Mai were together. Thank Lord that Mai had grown smarter, and had the sense not to blush. Although, that brought another dilemma to mind.

He had no idea what to make of their somewhat… confusing relationship.

.

One side, which sounded like Gene, told him that they were indeed together; Oliver Davis doesn't kiss people for fun. He avoids physical contact as much as possible.

The other side, which sounded like Luella (never a good sign), told him that he was leading her on, and merely using her as means to an end. Oliver didn't like that.

.

Life was so annoying sometimes.

.

He glanced at Nollene again, and noted the dark circles under her eyes.

'_She hasn't been sleeping much. I wonder why that is. Perhaps her…STOP USING YOUR FAMILY AS EXPERIMENTS!'_

.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Oliver turned his head to face Mai, who held out a cup of tea. Oliver raised an eyebrow, but took the offered cup, taking a small sip, and inwardly moaning at the taste. He looked at Mai, a question evident in his eyes. Mai smirked.

"You looked like you were pretty deep in thought. Therefore, you would have had a headache, and would have been a nightmare to deal with for the rest of the day."

.

Oliver blinked.

"Have I become so predictable?"

Mai smirked again, and Oliver wondered if she knew that she looked uncannily like Nollene. It was a truly awful thing, when one started to copy another's actions.

"Only to me. I've been bringing you tea for at least a year; I know the tells."

Oliver sighed.

"Thank you anyway. Where is everyone else?"

It was true; the base was partially empty; except for Nollene, Mai and Oliver. Mai shrugged.

"Monk and Ayako went on a walk through after Monk put Nollene on the couch. John went with Masako and Yasu to do the temperatures and some measurements for some rooms; there is no blueprint available for this house. Madoka's not here, but she promised to do research for us, and Lin is…" Mai trailed off, momentarily forgetting that the tall Chinese man was absent from this case.

Oliver sipped his tea.

"He said that he had some personal business to take care of. He didn't offer details."

Mai nodded, and sat down next to Oliver, dragging over some files to look at.

"Do you think he'll be alright? He looked pretty shaken when he ran out of his office."

Oliver shrugged.

"You can't really tell with Lin; either he'll tell us or he won't. He doesn't normally share personal information anyway." Oliver looked at Mai.

"You saw what happened last time that happened."

Mai shivered, remembering the demon.

"It was all personal information that we didn't want shared. Deepest fears are supposed to stay our deepest fears."

Mai fixed him with a burning gaze, and Oliver felt trapped.

"You never told me that you suffered from Aquaphobia."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, and took another sip from his tea, trying to delay answering as long as possible.

"You never told me you suffered from Monophobia." He countered.

Mai stiffened.

"I wonder why?"

Oliver frowned, and thought for a moment, before it came clear.

"I left,' he started, the problem dawning on him,' and, in a way, left you alone. I had rejected you, so that probably didn't help. Lin left as well, and Madoka for a short time. Monk was supposedly on tour, while Ayako was working at the hospital most days. Masako and Yasu didn't go to your school, and John was at the church. You really did feel alone."

Mai clapped silently, a twisted smile on her face.

"Well done. You are the only person who managed to figure that out. Even Masako and Ayako couldn't guess."

Oliver bit his lip.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realise that it'd have that much of an impact if I left."

Mai shrugged, leaning into Oliver slightly.

"It's over now. I've had my fair share of guilt trips, so don't beat yourself up about it."

.

There was a silence while they drank their tea, with Mai leaning on Oliver, before the door opened, and Monk and Ayako walked in. Oliver had expected Mai to move away, like she normally did, but she actually _snuggled_ closer to him, and continued to sip her tea.

Monk raised an eyebrow at the open display of affection, but didn't comment on it.

.

"Nothing. If it was here, it's been long gone."

"Masako hasn't come back,' Ayako cut in,' so she might have picked up something."

Oliver nodded, and picked up his notebook, jotting down some notes, adding in some early conclusions to scribble out later. It helped him show the duration of the case, and where he might have gone wrong.

Monk and Ayako sat down on the couch, and started to browse through the files on the case, making sure to note down everything that could be important.

.

Mai yawned, and rested her head against Oliver's shoulder, placing her teacup on the table in front. Oliver noticed the action, and shifted slightly, so that Mai's head wasn't resting on the actual bone.

"You should get some rest."

He murmured, discreetly snaking his arm around her waist. Mai shook her head sluggishly, fighting to keep her eyes open.'

"Don't want to. Memories are a bitch."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, slightly shocked that Mai would use such language, but he put it down to tiredness, than actual awareness.

"You could learn something about this case. You're good at things like that."

Mai's eyes closed, and her breathing slowed.

"Must have fallen asleep already,' she muttered,' there's no way Naru would actually compliment me while I was awake."

Oliver hid a smile, and started to flick through his own notes on the case so far, even as Mai fell asleep on him.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

* * *

><p>On the couch, Ayako looked up, and noticed Mai and Naru…cuddling…for lack of a better word. Well, Mai had fallen asleep on Naru, and Naru was actually letting her do that. Normally, he'd stand up, and let her fall onto the couch, then she would wake up and blush, but he just sat there.<p>

.

Ayako looked out of the window to check that, indeed, the sky wasn't falling, or that the zombie apocalypse hadn't started already.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_._

* * *

><p><em>Mai fell over on the astral plane.<em>

_Normally, she was more balanced, because it was planned, but she had felt really tired, so she'd…._

_._

_._

_…fallen asleep on Naru._

_._

_She was so fired._

_._

_Mai looked around, searching for Frost. She hadn't seen her since that case with the fear demon, so obviously, Frost was avoiding her. And for good reason._

_Mai was all set to give her a piece of her mind._

_It also drew attention to the fact that she was missing rather a lot of memories from her childhood. Maybe because Lin was present throughout most of it, so he had to remove all traces of himself from her mind, so to lessen the risk of her regaining her memories, and whatever she didn't want to remember._

_Mai shook her head, and continued searching, her eyes trying to catch a glimpse of red in the sea of black and white. Finally, she found a spot of colour, but it wasn't red._

_It was blue, and in the shape of two eyes, framed by black hair._

_._

_"Gene." Mai whispered, sitting down with a thud, as her legs gave out._

_Gene flashed her a grin, before sitting down next to her._

_"Hey. How's it going?"_

_._

_Mai slapped him across the face, hard._

_._

_"YOU JERK! HOW COULD YOU PRETEND TO BE YOUR BROTHER?! HOW COULD YOU TRICK ME LIKE THAT, AND LEAVE ME TO EXPLAIN TO NARU THAT I WAS SEEING HIS BROTHER WHILE I SLEPT!?"_

_._

_Gene rubbed his cheek, where a bright red handprint was now blooming._

_._

_"Not good, then."_

_._

_"HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL YOUR OWN TWIN WHERE YOU WERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT HURT HIM?"_

_._

_Gene sighed, and prepared himself for a lecture that was to be delivered at such loud decibels._

_._

_Mai didn't disappoint._

_._

_She yelled at him for a full ten minutes, berating him for not correcting her mistake, and therefore leading her to call him by his twin's name for a full year, and then making her confess to the idiot scientist, who had then asked if she had the right twin._

_On top of that, Naru had left, and then Gene hadn't turned up, so she'd thought that he'd passed on, and then she finds out from Naru on a case that he hadn't, and it had really upset her that he couldn't tell her about this._

_._

_Finally, she calmed down, only to slap him again, in the same spot with deadly accuracy._

_Gene rubbed his now throbbing cheek, and wondering if it was going to bruise. She'd certainly hit him hard enough._

_._

_"So, you're with my brother now?"_

_He asked. Mai blushed, and looked away._

_"It's complicated."_

_Gene frowned._

_"Do you like him?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Does he like you?"_

_"I'm pretty sure he does."_

_Gene fixed her with an interested gaze._

_"Pretty sure?"_

_Mai blushed again._

_"Well, he has kissed me a few times, and he's hugged me a few times."_

_._

_There was silence, while Gene processed this information._

_"I would say that he likes you. Anyway, that's not why I came to speak with you. I have some information for this case."_

_Mai eyed him suspiciously._

_"Why isn't Frost giving it to me? She normally does."_

_Gene blinked, and then coughed._

_"She told me to stop procrastinating and go and see you. Also, she's avoiding you, because she believes that you're mad at her."_

_Mai nodded._

_"I am. She kept information from me. Like the fact that she obviously knew me before she died."_

_Gene blinked._

_"She didn't mention that. Anyway, brace yourself."_

_Gene's face looked slightly uncomfortable._

_"It's not pretty."_

_._

_._

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_The girl was young, and pretty, with long black hair, and violet eyes._

_She had a killer figure, and had a gentle smile that would attract most men._

_._

_This was obviously the case, as the man who sat across from her was paying her extravagant comments, and flattering her. The girl looked uncomfortable with all the attention, but the man paid her no heed, continuing to compliment her._

_._

_"My angel, why do you not accept my offer. Your beauty is unparalleled; why waste it on a man who is less deserving than I? Why give it to someone of a lesser status, and lose that beauty to a commoner's ill-bred look? Accept my hand, beautiful Kei, and marry me."_

_._

_Kei blinked, and shook her head, causing the man's face to darken._

_._

_"I must apologize, Hamasaki-san. I have no interest in marrying at this point; I must finish my studies, as my brother wishes me to be able to make my own way into the world."_

_._

_Hamasaki's face darkened further, and his eyes took on a dangerous glint._

_"Is it the sword-smith? The doctor? The scholar? They do not deserve to your beauty. They have no connections, or wealth to support you. It would be unwise to marry them; they have no social standing. A woman of your reputation deserves better."_

_._

_Kei looked surprised, and a little bit nervous, as she realized that she was alone in a room with a man who was prone to violent outbursts. The man stood up, and towered over her. Kei also stood up, refusing to be intimidated._

_._

_"Hamasaki-san, I must ask you to leave at once. I do not tolerate accusations or rudeness in my home."_

_Kei stated firmly, ringing a bell._

_The door opened, and a man walked in, a sword strapped to his hip._

_His features were similar to Kei's, except his eyes were a darker violet, and his hair was tied up in a long braid._

_Kei's features brightened._

_"Kenta! You're back!"_

_The man, Kenta, nodded and smiled at the woman, before turning to glare at Hamasaki._

_"I believe the lady asked you to leave, Hamasaki-san. I suggest you do so."_

_Hamasaki glared at Kenta, before sweeping out the door, a manservant showing him the way out. The door closed, and Kei threw herself at Kenta, hugging him tightly._

_._

_"My dearest brother, I missed you so."_

_Kenta smiled at his sister, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear._

_"Seems you weren't that lonely."_

_"Marriage proposals. I hate them."_

_"Tell them to go away."_

_Kei frowned._

_"I do, they just keep coming back."_

_Kenta frowned, his gaze wandering to the door where Hamasaki had just left through, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His gaze was thoughtful, and a little bit worried._

_"Just don't let Hamasaki come in here and bully you. I couldn't care less who you marry; as long as you are happy."_

_Kei smiled, and hugged her brother again._

_"Thank you, Kenta."_

_._

_._

_It had changed to autumn, and the leaves were falling off the trees._

_Kei was sitting in the same room, reading a book, and leaning against a tall, lean man, who wore glasses, and was also reading a book, while occasionally sneaking glances at Kei, full of adoration and love._

_The door burst open, and Hamasaki stood there, livid, and with a sworn drawn. Kei and the other man both stood, the other man reaching behind his back for a knife that he had concealed there._

_Hamasaki glowered at Kei, and then at the other man._

_._

_"This is who you turned me down for!? The scholar? He has no standing within society; he doesn't deserve you! You belong with me and me alone!"_

_The scholar raised his eyebrows, and exchanged a glance with Kei, who rolled her eyes._

_"Hamasaki, this is a misunderstanding. Hideaki has been tutoring me in my studies, as I have missed a few lessons. Please refrain from throwing accusations around within my home, where you are not welcome."_

_Hamasaki gritted his teeth, and went to turn around, sheathing his sword. Kei sagged slightly, and Hideaki placed a hand on her arm, asking her in a low voice if she was alright. Hamasaki turned back quickly, and spotted Hideaki, supporting Kei, bend very close to whisper something to her. He snapped._

_Hamasaki drew his sword, and leapt over to Hideaki, slicing through his throat, before backhanding Kei across the face._

_"HIDEAKI!" Kei screamed, spitting out blood, and wiping the trickle that was dripping from her nose._

_Hamasaki turned his gaze towards her, eyes glowing with murderous intent._

_"You should have loved me, Kei. You should have chosen me over any of them."_

_Kei stood slowly, and straightened her spine._

_"Hideaki was worth ten of you. At least he had humility."_

_Hamasaki hissed in anger, and lifted his sword, before swinging._

_._

_The clang of metal on metal rang out, and Kei struggled under the force of Hamasaki's blow, her thin katana sharp in the candlelight. Kei smiled serenely at Hamasaki._

_"Your life is now forfeit, for attacking me in my own home."_

_Kei swung, and Hamasaki only just blocked it, before Kei swung again, the speed of her fighting dizzying. She jumped over seats and tables, her agility beyond Hamasaki's, her strikes fluid and swift._

_Finally, there was an opening, and Kei struck, stabbing Hamasaki through the stomach, condemning him to a slow death. Hamasaki looked at her, shocked._

_"How…"_

_Kei smiled at him, all teeth and wolfish-ness. _

_"The most beautiful flowers are the deadliest." She whispered to him, driving her sword home into his chest._

_Hamasaki died, his eyes displaying his horror at being deceived._

_._

_Kei moved over to Hideaki, and cradled his head in her hands, tears dripping down her cheeks._

_"May you be at peace, Hideaki, my dearest friend." She sobbed._

_._

_Her brother found her there three hours later, after Hideaki's body had long since frown cold, kneeling next to her fallen friend, tear tracks on her cheeks, while Hamasaki's body lay in a puddle of its own blood._

_._

_Kenta walked over to Kei, and placed a hand on her shoulder._

_"He was a brave man, and didn't deserve to die like this."_

_Kei nodded._

_"I want to bury him under the cherry trees. He had always liked them more than any other flower."_

_Kenta nodded, and closed Hideaki's eyes, and pulled the collar of his shirt up, hiding the mark, so that he appeared to be sleeping. He then pulled his sister up, and held her, and the tears returned in full force._

_._

_._

_In the shadows, Hamasaki stood staring at his body, and then at Kei, a malicious smile twisting his lips._

_._

_._

_._

_._

**An apology to a reviewer, who wanted fluff.**

**My fingers wanted death.**

**So, yeah, 7 reviews, etc.**

**This is well over my word limit, but who really cares. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait. Most likely, another week before I post another chapter. There are approximately 5 more chapters in this story, before the last one starts.**

**Thanks for reviewing!**

**Tori.**


	21. Ashes and Diamonds

**Hey everyone! First off, I want to thank in advance all the people who are reviewing. It really makes my day to receive reviews, and to know that so many people are actually reading this story.**

**As I've stated before, updates will be at least once a week, as school is very trying at the moment. Thank you for your patience.**

**.**

**.**

**Now, go to the top of the screen, and look at the URL.**

**Does it have FANFICTION in it?**

**Yes?**

**Then let's assume that everything I post is fanfiction **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

* * *

><p>Koujo looked in the mirror, and straightened his collar.<p>

.

He'd attended too many funerals in the past seven years; worn to much black, than he'd ever wanted to. Now, another friend was returning to the earth.

.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

.

There was a knock on his door, and Koujo shrugged on his black coat over his jacket. It was cold outside, with a biting wind. He looked at the door.

"Come in."

.

The door opened slightly, and Ren poked her head in, hair falling in front of her face in tangles. Koujo beckoned her in, and patted the chair. Ren hoisted herself up, and faced him, eyes wide.

.

"_Samchon?_"

Koujo crouched down to her level, and looked her in the eyes, encouraging her to continue.

"Will you help me do my hair? The others…are busy."

Koujo frowned, wondering why Ruka or at least Maya hadn't offered to help. He looked back at Ren, who was wringing her hands nervously. Koujo smiled at her.

"Do you have a comb?"

Ren nodded, and dropped off the seat, running into the bathroom, no doubt to steal a comb from one of the exchange students. She came back a few seconds later, carrying her mother's comb.

"This was the only one I could find."

Koujo shrugged.

"It'll do. Sit on the chair, please."

She did so, and Koujo began to run the comb through her dark brown hair, careful not to pull hard. He suddenly remembered doing this for Cho, when she was little, and his heart twinged.

'_Cho and Rose won't even get to say goodbye. If Panther ever decides to return them, I'll bring them to her grave.'_

After the knots were gone, he started to braid it down the back of her head. Madoka had taught him to braid properly, when Cho first came. She'd been shocked that he didn't know how to weave things together, and had immediately sat him down and showed him.

He'd used to do Tori's hair as well, when she'd broken her arm after a fight with some men in an alley. Her attackers had come out far worse.

Finishing the braid, he tied it up, and then brushed off the stray bits of hair from her back. Ren, however didn't move, and continued to sit there, legs hanging off the floor.

"Ren?"

.

Ren ducked her head shyly, making the braid fall over her left shoulder.

"Will you…will you stay with me today? I don't want to be left alone."

Koujo frowned, confused.

"Why me?"

.

Ren blushed.

"You make me feel safe." She muttered, not meeting his eyes. Koujo knelt down, and tilted her chin, so that she was looking him in the eyes.

"Always."

.

Ren gave a watery smile, and hopped off the chair, grabbing Koujo's hand and dragging him out of his room.

"We should probably go now." She stated.

Koujo blinked, and followed Ren down the hallway.

.

.

'_She's grown up far too fast already.'_

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

* * *

><p>The rain was falling in a steady drizzle; enough to make people uncomfortable, but not enough to warrant an umbrella. Ren stood silently, ignoring the sympathetic looks and the concerned gazes, and watched her mother's coffin be lowered in to the grave.<p>

.

She'd knew, deep down, that this day would come, but she never thought that it would come so soon. She'd thought that her mother would be able to see the play that she was starring in for her school, but that day would never come now.

.

No welcoming hug, a glass of juice and a snack would greet her when she came home from school; her mother wouldn't come in to her room at night and whisper stories, or giggle after curfew about silly jokes.

She'd never hear her mother's crystalline laughter again; forever lost to sickness.

.

_Samchon_ stood behind her, with his hands on her shoulders. He'd stuck with his promise, and had stayed with her. Ruka was huddled with Maya and a few other students; offering support where she could.

_Samchon_ was the closest thing she had to a father; even though he was away a lot; studying in England had often put a strain on him.

But, she knew now that he was staying; he'd finished his studies, and was returning to Japan for good. Ren knew that Cho would be happy, Maya and Ruka as well.

Ren knew she should be crying; knew she would be upset, but all she felt was empty.

.

And that scared her more.

.

She'd always thought that people cry at funerals, no matter what their relation to the dearly departed, but she was proving herself wrong, on every account. And she'd never, in living memory, seen _Samchon_ cry at funerals either. He might try to suppress his emotions, and his shoulders would tense slightly, but he'd never cry.

.

Instead of the '_over-whelming sense of grief and sorrow'_ that she'd read about in books, she felt hollow. She wondered if author's had actually lost someone close to them, or were just making assumptions.

.

_Samchon_ squeezed her shoulders lightly, and Ren dragged her attention back to the funeral, and realized everyone was staring at her. Ren swallowed, as the priest discreetly nodded at the pile of earth that sat on the side of the grave.

.

She stepped forward to grab a handful of dirt, and paused at the edge of the grave, staring down at her mother's coffin.

It was a plain wooden one, and had a silver nameplate, with her mother's name engraved on it. Ren paused, and pulled out a water lily; one that looked identical to the one she'd left with her mother after she'd died. Carefully, she dropped it into the deep hole that had become her mother's final resting place.

.

"Goodbye, _Eomma_." She whispered, tossing her handful of dirt into the grave, where it covered the nameplate. Another handful of dirt soon followed, and Ren looked up, to see _Samchon_ mutter softly in Chinese, before turning towards her, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ren reached up, and grabbed his large hand in her small one. Although, now that she thought about it, _Samchon's _fingers were really slender and long.

.

She walked back into the circle around the grave, and watch Ruka throw some dirt in, followed by the rest of the Outcasts, and a few of Hana's friends from school. _Samchon's_ fingers flexed slightly as the undertaker started to shovel the dirt in quickly, and as the rain started to fall a little harder.

.

Ren tugged on his hand and he bent down, so that she could whisper in his ear.

.

"I want to go home."

.

_Samchon_ nodded, but whispered back.

"I have to visit a few friends here. Do you mind coming with me?"

Ren shook her head, and they started to walk away, heading towards the other graves that were standing there.

Ren saw Maya kneeling in between two graves, her hands on each of the gravestones. Ren frowned, but _Samchon_ explained.

"Mamoru and Jia Taniyama. They're Maya's parents." Ren nodded, but _Samchon_ kept talking.

"To the left,' he pulled her over to the graves, and Ren read

.

.

_Lucy Stone._

_4__th__ September 1990- 25__th__ August 2007_

_"Always believe in yourself when others don't."_

_._

_._

_Rosaline Wood._

_12__th__ July 1990- 25__th__ August 2007_

_"There are far, far better things ahead than those we leave behind"_

- _C.S. Lewis_

_._

_._

_Amaya Mori._

_16__th__ February 1988- 13__th__ July 2009_

_"All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us."_

- _J.R.R. Tolkien _

_._

_._

_Tori Li _

_30__th__ July 1990- 22__nd__ July 2010_

_"The ones who love us never really leave us."_

- _Sirius Black_

_._

_._

.

Ren frowned at the last one.

"Is that the Tori that _Imo _Ruka and _Imo_ Madoka try not to talk about?"

_Samchon_ nodded, and drew a slightly crumpled flower out of his pocket. Ren recognized it as a black orchid; they had a plant growing in the garden. He placed it on the grave, and murmured something softly in a strange hybrid of Korean and what had to be Chinese, before turning away. Ren frowned, but followed anyway.

.  
>"Who was she?"<p>

.

_Samchon_ paused, and he clenched his fists.

"She was my…girlfriend. She was murdered."

.

Ren froze, and said no more, following her uncle, and now guardian, to the car, where Ruka was already waiting. Maya had finished just before them, and was leaning against the car, her tears mingling with the rain.

.

Ren swiped at the rain that was coating her cheeks, and ignored the well-wishers and the sympathetic comments, climbing into the car next to Maya. _Samchon_ started the car, and they drove away, Ren looking out of the window.

.

.

"_I love you, Eomma. I hope you find your way to heaven."_

_._

_._

_._

**Sadness central!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and WILL REVIEW (hint, hint ;)), it's really helpful for the mad author to write something when there are some guidelines to write with. I apologize for all the people who wanted fluff; it will come soon.**

**Maybe.**

**It all really depends on what kind of fluff you want, so review and tell me!**

**Cheers!**

**Tori.**


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